Isaiah 61, Day 1

“Isaiah 61, Day 1” (2 panels)
Isaiah 61:1
©️2020 by Gloria M. Chang

The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me;
He has sent me to bring good news to the afflicted,
to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
release to the prisoners,
To announce a year of favor from the Lord
and a day of vindication by our God.

Isaiah 61:1-2a

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The Lord of Jubilee

Reading from a scroll of the prophet Isaiah in the synagogue of his hometown, Nazareth, Jesus solemnly declared, “Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:18-21). In Jubilee fashion, the Savior announced the ultimate release of slaves and debtors in the “year of favor” (Leviticus 25:10-11).

Authentic Freedom

As codified in the ancient Mosaic Covenant, personal and collective freedom beat at the heart of the Jubilee law. Filled with the plenitude of grace and virtue, children made in the image of God flourish in the ocean of divine freedom. For authentic freedom is the freedom to know, love, and serve God, unfettered by sin.

Freedom and Beatitude

The anointed king and bearer of good tidings to the poor came to set his people free from the bondage of sin, the only path to universal peace. Interior freedom from sin is the key to exterior freedom and a just society. Jesus Christ, crowned on the cross with thorns, triumphs over all earthly kings and governments. While all sociopolitical solutions to human misery and slavery fade into the dust, the risen Christ reigns forever. Anointed with the Spirit of the Lord, the King of Kings alone holds the key to ultimate freedom and beatitude.

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

John 8:36 (ESV)