The Spirit of the Lord

"The spirit of the Lord is on me, for he has anointed me to bring the good news to the afflicted. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives, sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim a year of favor from the Lord." (Luke 4: 18 – 19)

This is the mission of Jesus Christ. He found it in the text of Isaiah. Like Jesus, my identity and destiny are also defined in the Bible. I am drawn to this scripture. I find myself visiting it again and again and asking myself: 'how do I apply this text to myself here and now?' The Spirit of the Lord is also upon me. What has he anointed me for? How do I know that he has anointed me to learn about Jesus and communicate this truth to the many who are afflicted today?

Today, we see the afflicted everywhere: home, church, street and workplace and also in the media. Everywhere people are crying for relief and hope, totally unaware that the answer is in Jesus Christ. The message of Jesus Christ will set free the captives, prisoners of fear and materialism, those bound by depression and hopelessness.

Jesus opened the eyes of the blind. His message continues today to open eyes blinded by ignorance, lust and selfishness. The true oppressed of today are not merely the materially poor but even more so the spiritually poor. The materially rich but spiritually poor cannot overcome the world because they lack the faith to do so. Those who poor libations to the gods of this world multiply their sorrows. The gods of this world "only take advantage of all who love them." (Psalm 16: 2)