The Text In Its Context

“The author writes with remarkable precision and literary skill; he stays in the background and presents Jesus as the Redeemer” (Allen Myers, 667). Reading the entire book of Luke, one comes across various texts that live up to this theme such as Zacchaeus the Tax Collector, the Parable of the Lost Son, and the Parable of the Rich man and Lazarus, and many more including the passage we are discussing. All these do not appear in any of the other three Gospels. They appear particularly in Luke since the author of the Gospel of Luke wants to emphasize his purpose and a particular image of Jesus Christ—a savior or redeemer—in accordance to his audience. Nevertheless, it does not stop there. The author wrote in such a way that he too stressed whom the redeemer is saving. “Luke is the Gospel of love. It portrays the great compassion of Jesus and shows his concern for the one lost coin” (Myers, 668). The mission and purpose of Jesus Christ was clearly expressed in Luke’s passage on chapter 4, verses 16 to 21. We can infer, based on the strong conviction of His words, that He has authority and power given to Him by God. This power clearly benefits the poor and oppressed who are in dire need of a savior. He promised freedom to the prisoners and oppressed, and to recover the sight of the blind. To sum it all up, Jesus Christ is offering a life, according to God’s plan, for the poor.             It is stated in the book Mysteries of the Bible, “For Luke, God’s plan is all-inclusive” (271). The author of the Gospel according to Luke focused more on Jesus’ teachings and healings rather than his passion and resurrection. This is so because the author wrote the Gospel of Luke for the poor and oppressed; the marginalized people who need him the most. “Luke’s Gospel abounds with examples of Jesus’ embrace of these groups” (Mysteries of the Bible, 271). The author wanted to show that Jesus Christ serves as a bridge between God and the people by proclaiming the Kingdom of God. He gave an assurance to the people that coming of the Kingdom of God is at hand and that’s why there were numerous parables and teachings revealing the Word of God.             “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” This line uttered by Jesus Christ is very essential to the whole book because it suggests that the Kingdom of God is coming through Jesus Christ. Jesus showed this by using the power bestowed upon Him by God and the people, particularly the poor and oppressed, gained hope that salvation is near.            Jesus, indeed, fulfilled God’s promise to the people. His proclamation to the people in Nazareth foretold what Jesus was going to do for the faithful people who await the coming of the Kingdom of God. Jesus was following and fulfilling God’s plan to the people. The passage emphasized the conviction and reassurance Jesus wanted the poor and oppressed to feel, that the Kingdom of God is at hand.            What then is the meaning of Luke 4:16-21 in relation to the entire book? This passage summarizes what the author is trying to point out in the entirety of the book—that Jesus has come to save the poor and oppressed. He says, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor…” Then he further expounds, “He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free…” (Luke 4:18) The word “me” there is emphasized since Jesus was the one speaking therefore indicating that the prophecies have already been fulfilled. This is further clarified by the line: “Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21). The author presented various parables and wrote several texts in his unique way, and all these simply lead to one main point, and that is what Luke 4:16-21 contains.

Next Page

GK-theo121f (www.geocities.com/gk_theo121).  Site Designed by http://www.quickness.uni.cc. All Rights Reserved.