The Year of the Lord’s Favor

Luke 4:17-21

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Luke, Chapter four, we hear an interesting account in which Jesus heads to his hometown of Nazareth, and he goes to worship at the local synagogue. Because Jesus is now a famous teacher, they ask him to read one of their Bible or Scripture readings that day, and so he agrees. And he’s handed a scroll of the Prophet Isaiah. And we hear this.

He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. 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 to tell them, “Today, this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:17-21)

I’m sure a lot of those people were shocked that day as we even read on and find out. Many of them were even angry that day. Hearing as Jesus read those words and even what he said later, implying that they were referring to him and they certainly were referring to him as the Messiah. But it’s interesting to note what Jesus says, that the Messiah, what really he came to do. That he came to proclaim good news to the poor. He came to proclaim freedom to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

You know, it’s that last phrase that really reminds me of something that we find in the Old Testament. It was something that God commanded his people to do every 50 years. It was a special year known as the Year of Jubilee. And in that year, if anyone had any debts, they were to be canceled. So any debts accumulated over the previous 50 years. Those debts were now canceled. If anyone had to sell themselves into slavery to pay back some of their debt. They would be set free in that year of Jubilee. If anyone had to sell a piece of property to pay debts. That property would now return back to them and their family in the year of Jubilee. It was quite an amazing year, a year that probably many people looked forward to. Many people that had racked up a huge amount of debt. And it was a great celebration that would occur in that 50th year.

You know, it’s kind of interesting that in our own society, we have a way, a similar way, of dealing with debt. If somebody gets into so much debt that they can’t possibly pay it back. And I’m sure you know what I’m talking about bankruptcy, right? That if someone has mismanaged their money so poorly and has wound up in so much debt that they can’t possibly pay it back even an entire lifetime, we have agreed as a society that we will have a way that someone can declare bankruptcy. To legally declare I cannot pay this back, and their debts ultimately will be canceled.

Now, if you ever talk to someone who has filed for bankruptcy, I’m sure they’d tell you, don’t do it. It’s not an easy process and it certainly isn’t. They’d also maybe tell you how embarrassing it is to file for bankruptcy. Embarrassing to admit how poorly you’ve managed your funds. How much debt you’ve racked up. But also there must be an incredible relief that comes over someone whose debts are finally canceled, an overwhelming debt that they are unable to pay that is finally gone. As they file for bankruptcy and that is ultimately approved.

I think about ourselves and our massive debt that we have racked up before God concerning our sin. How every day we have more and more debt of sin as we keep violating God’s commands. And every one of those commands and violations deserves punishment. A huge debt that each one of us has. But Christ has come to declare the year of the Lord’s favor for you. He has come to cancel your debt of sin. All of it. Every single thing you’ve ever committed, no matter how terrible it is, no matter how many years you’ve held it inside, no matter how long it’s weighed upon your conscience. Christ has come and He has paid the price in full for your sin. He declares God’s favor, not just in this year, but every year of your life because of what He has done for you.

So it’s amazing to think about the role of the Messiah, the one who came boldly to tell others that He was the one to bring good news to the poor, to announce freedom for the captives, to also announce the year of the Lord’s favor. May we rejoice in the fact that Christ has come and canceled our debt of sin. And because of that, we have God’s favor now and always. Amen.