Jesus Preaches the Gospel to the Poor: (Isaiah 61)
Last week we talked about Jesus’ message of freedom, deliverance and liberty from the following text He read in Isaiah 61. Jesus was anointed to preach the gospel to the poor.
“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 brokenhearted
To preach deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind
To set at liberty those who are oppressed
To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”
The word “gospel” is translated from the Greek and means a proclamation of “good news.” Jesus came to proclaim good news to the poor. Why the poor and not the wealthy? Jesus came to save everyone (John 3:16), but He said it was much harder for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 19:23).
When a rich young ruler came to Jesus he asked Him what he must do to inherit eternal life. The young man said that he had kept all of the commandments. Jesus knew that money was a hindrance so He told the young man to go sell all his possessions, give the money to the poor, and to come and follow Him. The young man was saddened by this request because he had many possessions and he didn’t want to give them up.
One who is rich has money to rely on and it’s harder to let go of it, whereas a poor person has nothing to rely on and very little or nothing to give up. When the good news is preached, the poor do not need any money to receive salvation. It is a free gift to anyone who will believe and receive, whether rich or poor.
But the good news is not only for eternal life after one leaves this world, it is the good news that you don’t have to remain poor in this life as well. The promises of God for believers is that He would meet our needs and He would bless us (Phil 4:19; Psalm 23). Not only does God want to save you, He wants you to live an abundant life because He loves you so much. All He asks is that you believe and trust in Him for everything in your life. (John 10:10)
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Personal Development Tip of the week:
What are you chasing after in your life? I ask this question to you today to get you think about what’s driving your life and your decisions.
As we read earlier on the young ruler who came to Jesus but would not give up his possessions showed what was most important to him in his life. There is nothing wrong with making money and achieving great things in your life while you are here it’s the level of importance you put on them.
Above all else our goals as Christians should be to put God first in everything we do and not let the things of the world become what we value most. As a result of doing that God will provide us all of our needs.
Question for you? Has God challenged you to give something up that’s been holding you back in your life?
Prayer for the week’
Father God, thank you for loving and caring for me so much that You sent Your only son to pay the ultimate price for my life and eternal salvation. Thank you for helping me each day improve my life, and my choices, and to live a more Christ-centered life. Be with me today and protect me from all harm in evil in Jesus name Amen.
PS. If you would like to support us consider checking out www.litwithprayer.com and picking up our devotional prayer journal to our new pieces of Christian-based Jewelry.
Do you know Jesus?
If you have never asked Jesus to be the leader of your life and forgive you of all your sins, this is the right time to act. Pray this simple prayer and believe it in your heart: “Dear God, Your Word says that You loved me so much that You sent Your Son Jesus to die on the cross for me. I want to be saved and have all my sins forgiven, past, present, and future. Forgive me now as I receive Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior. You promised me salvation and an abundant life. I believe and receive Your free gift. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and help me grow stronger in You each day, in Jesus name I pray, Amen.” (John 3:16)
Jesus Preaches the Gospel to the Poor