Quick Read #30: The Liberty of Christ

And there was delivered to Him the Book of the Prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: the Spirit of the LORD is upon me because He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set them at liberty them that are bruised; to preach the acceptable year of the LORD.

And He closed the Book, and gave it again to the minister and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened upon Him. And He said unto them: This day, this scripture is fulfilled in your ears. (Luke 4:17-21)

That the promised one had come to heal the broken, preach to the poor in spirit, to mend the sight of the blind; and to show us the way to liberty as the Anointed of God, is the greatest blessing bestowed on mankind. And so, Jesus proclaims His arrival; the Spirit of the LORD is upon me to preach the Good News fulfilling the words given to Isaiah who declared and wrote of the Christ. His advent joined the Old and New Testaments into a comprehensive whole: that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the Law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. (Luke 24:44)

Now, when Paul wrote, but even to this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart, he was speaking of those blinded to the truth of Jesus and the great gifts He brings. He then says, yet when it shall turn to the LORD, the veil shall be taken away. Now the LORD is that Spirit: and where the spirit of the LORD is, there is liberty. (2Cor 3:15-17)

So what is this liberty Paul spoke of?

In the First Century, Judeans lived under rabbinical laws brought from Babylon, based on the Law of Moses yet with their own interpretations and additions. The rabbis of the Sanhedrin were the final authority when it came to the administration and execution of these laws, so when Jesus said He had come to set the people free, then preached the Gospel and performed miracles, they were naturally incensed. The Christ had given notice He had come to remove their power, laying down a new testimony and a perfect Law.

Jesus glorified the Father in His work to free the captives, and heal the broken. To pull us again out of Egypt, not through His servant Moses, but a work only He could do; to cut our bonds to sin, debt and death and through Redemption absolve us from Levitical right and custom: no longer, an eye for an eye or recompense of equal measure, but a new law of love for one another. Jesus has given us a gift of immense power; the power of forgiveness without obligation; of mercy friendship and human kindness where love reigns supreme.

Paul places it perfectly: and now abides faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. (1Co 13:13)

And as the Apostle James so rightly said, who so looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues not being a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. (James 1:25)

So, let us live in the liberty of Christ and bestow it without fear or favour upon each other equally.  As Paul reminds us; you have been called unto freedom; only use your freedom, not for an occasion to the flesh, but through love be servants to one another. (Gal 5:13)

Today is that day: so go ahead, heal someone’s pain through an act of forgiveness while there’s still time. Release one another into a new and better way of living, and the Prince of Peace will bless you in your deed…

In love and peace as always,

James