Jesus proclaimed in Luke 4:18-19 his mission for His/ the Church’s ministry: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Jesus makes five statements in these verses:
Jesus was anointed to proclaim good news
Jesus was sent to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
Jesus came to help people see what they have always missed
Jesus came to set the oppressed free
Jesus came to bring God’s favor
In those five statements we recognize what Jesus called his followers to do:
Jesus followers should be good news in a bad news world.
The world needs to see we are different. We think differently. We speak differently. We believe differently. We act differently. We are to be the sunshine in every rain storm. We are to be the kind of people where others will find acceptance, love, and forgiveness regardless of who they are or what they have done when they seek it.
2. Jesus followers should exist to bring freedom for those imprisoned.
There are many ways people are imprisoned. There is spiritual prison, physical prison, mental prison, relational prison, emotional prison, and bondages of all sorts that plague our world. As Jesus followers we exist to help people find the strength to separate from what haunts and imprisons them.
3. Jesus followers should be guiding lights that gives sight to the blind.
We are not called to force people to see what we see or what we know. We are called and transformed by the Holy Spirit to open blind eyes. We help people know God is good. We help people to believe in God and to believe in themselves. Light illuminates to allows people in the dark to see.
4. Jesus followers are to set the oppressed free.
As Jesus followers we should stand for justice and stand up against injustice. We stand for equality for all people. There are many injustices in our world today you can get involved in fighting.
Here is a short list:
Provide clean water for people who don’t have assess to clean water
Feed the hungry in your neighborhood
Education
Racism
Support a family in poverty
Prison reform
Homeless
Sex Trafficking
5. Jesus followers are to be a blessing to the world.
As Jesus followers we should be a blessing everywhere we go. Be a blessing at work. Be a blessing when you tip. Be a blessing when you shop. Be a blessing in your neighborhood. Find ways to be a blessing where you live.
Make 2022 be a year of BLESSINGS! You are Important! You matter!
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