The Lord God’s Spirit is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me.
He has sent me
to bring good news to the poor,
to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim release for captives.
Isaiah 61:1
It is recorded in the fourth chapter of Luke that Jesus stood up in the temple and referring to himself announced almost these same words. It has always been dangerous to try to alter the balance of power of the rich especially on behalf of the poor. Jesus embraced this risk. It’s easy to say we want to follow in the steps of Jesus until we come to a challenge like this. We fear being labeled “do-gooders” or “naïve.” But can we really avoid this risk and be faithful to the Jesus of the Gospels? Let’s take this step before Christmas arrives and reach out to someone with less – fewer resources or less family support.
(c) 2017 Eunice Cheshire
Spiritual Director &
HeartPaths Core Faculty
