Good News to the Poor

Isaiah 61:1

Jesus was continually confounding and enraging religious leaders.  When Jesus sat down to eat with who they considered socially and religiously unacceptable, they questioned Him on why He ate with sinners.  Jesus replied, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”  His reply was a definition of His role on the earth.  When Jesus came to Nazareth and stood up in the synagogue to read, He declared His ministry and calling through the prophet Isaiah.  The Spirit of the Lord was with Jesus because God anointed Him to minister to certain needs, to achieve specific goals.  The first of these was to proclaim good news to the poor and afflicted.

The world is filled with disheartening news.  Many are beset with hardship and strife.  Poor finances, ailing health, and run-ins with the law all bring oppression and anxiety.  In a sea of trouble, God anointed Jesus to bring news that promises change.  The gospel of Jesus Christ is a promise of right-relationship with God.  It is a promise of the forgiveness of sin for all those who accept Him.  To those that are in dire straits, those that are beyond their own capacity, and those who are desperate for someone to come in and save them from their current crisis, Jesus declares a future and a hope.  The good news is that all may come.  All are accepted.  Through the blood of Jesus, all are made worthy.  It is not dependent on social or financial status, or on our own righteousness or ability to follow the rules of religion or society.  God calls us, and He makes us holy.  We are granted access through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”  From the greatest to the least, salvation is here.  This is the good news.  Today, may the good news of what Jesus has done transform your perspective, and may you fully receive the hope that is found