06-27-24

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
June 27, 2024
I think most Jewish people would point to the Exodus story as the primary vision of who God is—the One who hears the cries of the oppressed and seeks to call forth those who will partner with God in the work of liberation. In Luke’s Gospel, when Jesus read from the Prophet Isaiah while in the synagogue, he read the following words:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, 
   because the Lord has anointed me.
He has sent me to preach good news to the poor,
  to proclaim release to the prisoners
    and recovery of sight to the blind,
    to liberate the oppressed,
    and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor (Luke 4:18-19).

It is probably the best statement of Jesus’ purpose, and each one of those tasks listed is a form of liberation—liberation from some form of oppression, limitation, or subjugation. Today, the church in many different places has lost sight of this purpose, and the only liberation they are seeking is liberation from this planet. It’s all about getting people to heaven. But recently, N.T. Wright, one of the most gifted New Testament scholars alive, reminded an audience where I was in attendance that from the beginning of the Bible to the end of the Bible is a message about bringing the Kingdom of God to earth. We are not seeking escape, but full participation in the transformation of this world. Does that mean Dr. Wright speaks against heaven after we die? No! God is love, and God is always drawing creation closer to the heart of God, whether that be in life or in death or in the life to come.

Holy God, provide me both peace and purpose! Let me hold tight to the Good News of your love, and then call me to join you in living that love out loud in as many forms of liberation as one could imagine. Amen.