“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted;
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favour,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn…”  Isaiah 61:1-2

This is a prophecy that refers to Jesus Christ who in fact read it aloud many years later in the synagogue in Nazareth.  It also provides one of the earliest attestations of the idea of a theological exile that extended beyond that of mere Babylonian captivity.

According to Luke 4, when Jesus spoke in the synagogue, He was speaking the precise meaning of the text, applying it to Himself and His ministry, rather than applying it to a Messiah yet to come.  As God manifest in the flesh, His understanding gives us the best definition of the original words and meaning.  What is also interesting is the portion of the text that He did not read and did not say was fulfilled by His earthly ministry.  He focused His words on the immediate benefit He intended the people to receive, rather than the words of judgement also contained in the Isaiah text.

Israel was still suffering under oppression of the Roman occupation, and the people may well have been expecting a sermon about the day of vengeance of our Lord.  However, Jesus excluded this from His exposition, because the fulfilment of the judgement was not to be fulfilled in the days of His earthly life.  The Grace of Jesus Christ put the day of God’s vengeance far into the future.

Jesus Christ came to heal the broken hearted and free us from our worldly and temporal burdens. Stretch your hand to the Lord.  Go to his throne with boldness to find help in time of need.  We all need help.

We all suffer from wounds and we all need the Lord to deliver us from them.  In our mourning, we all need the promise of His salvation.

Lord Jesus, we thank You for your mercy – delaying judgement until the full number have come to repentance – and for Your compassion to us.  Please teach us always to turn to You for the help You offer.  Amen.