“Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: “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.” Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is ful lled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:14-21)

In the reading today we see that even Jesus looks at the world through a particular lens. the Son of God comes to the synagogue, as it is His practice, and reads from Isaiah 61 what might be His personal vision statement.  This particular passage “handed to Him” was a Sabbath favorite because it demonstrates the promise of God’s glory to Israel and later in the passage—vengeance on the gentiles.  The gentiles were considered to “fuel for the rest of hell” by Jews, which brings us to the moment that the people turned on their “fair haired boy from Nazareth.” What did Jesus do to set them off?He stopped reading. He didn’t finish. He ended His reading without going into the “vengeance” part destined for the outsiders. When they pressed Jesus on this issue He names two gentiles in the old testament: Naaman (who conquered Israel and sent them to Babylon by God’s power—ouch!), and the Shunamite widow who experienced the miraculous blessing of provision in the worst of times.Let’s just say that the worldview of Jesus and that of the Jews clashed in this moment like two cars headed toward each other on a one-way street. The good news Jesus came to proclaim was for the “whole world,” for everyone! Check out what the prophet Isaiah reported from God a few chapters before:

“Suppose outsiders want to follow me and serve me.
They want to love me and worship me.
They keep the Sabbath day and do not misuse it.
And they are faithful  in keeping my covenant.
Then I will bring them to my holy mountain of Zion.
I will give them joy in my house. They can pray there.
I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices on my altar.
My house will be called a house where people from all nations  can pray.”
The Lord and king will gather those who were taken away from their homes in Israel.
He announces, “I will gather them to myself. And I will gather others to join them.” (Isaiah 56:1-8)

I highlighted the above portions to underscore how God viewed the world and how the Jews custom-eyes their practice of faith in God. What a shift in thinking! Can you imagine how the Jews would have been punched in the gut by such news, especially if it were considered to be “good news.”

There are two beautiful qualities that emerge from the Person of Christ on this Sabbath day. The custom of Sabbath’s original purpose and the cause that God’s people were supposed to take up as an outgrowth of their practice.

The Custom

The word “custom” has the connotation of “practice” or “habit.” The significance rang like a bell in my mind: People who know how to stop know how to see.  These are the ones that observe the broken world around us and give their time, money, and personal space to make a difference. these are a collective of both visionaries and doers. For some, the doing awakens the vision. For others, they stop and see and therefore know what to do.When you make stopping (Sabbath) a practice you will consequently see the needs of others around you. But keep in mind, if you don’t practice your “vision statement” or what “you see” because of your Sabbath, you may lose your way. People who stop and see can help the broken, the outsiders, and the forgotten— but they don’t always do it.

The Cause

If you don’t actively practice “proclaiming good news to the poor” and “freedom for the prisoners” and “recovery of sight for the blind” and “set the oppressed free” and “proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favor,” then you will be one of those blind people who think you see just fine.

Engage today in God’s old way of stopping and seeing—then do it. What might your next Sabbath be like if you were to do what you see in Jesus’ example?

Challenge:

What are some of the assumptions you have about life, Sabbath, and service to outsiders?  Reflect on some of your experiences that you think have shaped your “worldview.” Good news to the poor. Freedom from the prisoners. Sight for the blind. What can you do today to practice one or all three of these goals? Again, you have to take to think about what the “poor, blind and imprisoned” look like in your world—your sphere of influence. There are probably more than we can imagine.

Read more from the '40 Days with Jesus challenge'

Day 31: "Custom Eyes Your Life"

From Day 31 of “Forty Days Wild” by Pastor Troy Fitzgerald: “Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the […]

Read More ›

Day 23: "The Biggest Three Letter Word"

From “Forty Days Wild” by Pr Troy Fitzgerald: “When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into […]

Read More ›

Day 11: Mirroring the Mind of Christ

If you’ve joined our 40 days with Jesus challenge, then you might have read Day 11: Mirroring the Mind of […]

Read More ›