As a disciple of Jesus, I pray that we may live according to our calling and, following that same calling, fall asleep (die) in the Lord.

As a disciple of Jesus, I pray that we may live according to our calling and, following that

same calling, fall asleep (die) in the Lord.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“He went to Nazareth, where He had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day He went into the synagogue, as was His custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. Unrolling it, He found the place where it is written: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor’” (Luke 4:16–19).

 

 

 

As I meditate on this passage, I desire to receive the spiritual lessons that it offers.

 

(1)    When I read Luke 4:16–19, my attention is first drawn to the words “as was His custom” (v.16).

 

(a)    In Greek, this phrase is εἰωθὸς (eiōthos), which generally refers to an action that has been performed so persistently and repeatedly that it becomes a habit or norm—eventually forming a pattern of expectation, decision, and ministry strategy (Internet).

 

(i)                 This same Greek term appears in three other places in the New Testament (Mt. 27:15; Mk. 10:1; Acts 17:2).  Among these, Mark 10:1 is closely related to Luke 4:16: “Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to Him, and as was His custom, He taught them.”

 

·         Here, the Greek word translated “as was His custom” is εἰώθει (eiōthei), which is the same word as εἰωθὸς (eiōthos) used in Luke 4:16.  This word emphasizes Jesus’ unwavering rhythm of public teaching, demonstrating His perseverance in proclaiming truth regardless of place or opposition (Internet).

 

-          The person who imitated this same “as was His custom” teaching ministry of Jesus was the Apostle Paul: “As was his custom [εἰωθὸς (eiōthos)], Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. ‘This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,’ he said” (Acts 17:2–3).

 

n  Therefore, Paul exhorted his spiritual son Timothy as follows: “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Tim.  4:2).

 

(b)    We, too, following Jesus’ example, must enter the house of God on the Lord’s Day (our Christian Sabbath) to offer regular worship to Him, as we customarily do (Lk. 4:16).

 

(i)                  As a pastor, I must faithfully proclaim the truth of God’s Word every Sunday, regardless of circumstances.

 

·         When I speak God’s Word as His servant, I must neither add to it nor subtract from it (Jere. 26:2; Prov. 30:6; Rev. 22:18–19), nor conceal any part of it (Jere. 23:28).  I must deliver God’s Word faithfully, exactly as I have received it, whether or not people are willing to listen (cf. Jere. 25:3; Ezek. 2:5,7; 3:11).  I must trust in God’s promises rather than human approval, declaring even the words that may be unwelcome—if they are God’s words.

 

-          If those under my care disobey God’s Word, I must not fear them or comply with their wishes and thus share in their sin.   Instead, by first obeying God’s Word myself, I must lovingly rebuke them—whether they listen or not—so that they may learn to obey the Word of the Lord (cf. 1 Sam. 15:24; Ezek.  2:5,7; 3:11).

 

(2)    Second and last, when I read Luke 4:16–19, I meditate on the “scroll of the prophet Isaiah” (v.17) that Jesus read when He stood up “as was His custom” on the Sabbath.

 

(a)    This passage from Isaiah says: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent Me to proclaim freedom for the captives and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Lk. 4:18–19).  This corresponds to Isaiah 61:1–2: “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn.”

 

(i)                 This prophecy reveals two aspects of Jesus’ ministry:

 

·         Prophetic ministry – Jesus is “the Prophet” foretold in Deuteronomy 18:15,18, who brings good news to the poor in spirit.

 

·         Messianic ministry – Jesus, as the Anointed One (the Messiah, cf. Dan. 9:24), came to deliver those in spiritual bondage and darkness, freeing them from sin and death (cf. Lk. 6:20–21; 7:18–23).

 

(ii)               In Luke 4:18, the phrase “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me” uses the Greek verb ἔχρισέν (echrisen), meaning “to anoint” or “to rub with oil.”  Thus, the Spirit’s coming upon Jesus signifies His anointing.   Just as priests (Exod. 28:41), prophets (1 Kgs. 19:16), and kings (1 Sam. 10:1) were anointed, so Jesus was anointed to fulfill all these offices.

 

·         Therefore, according to the teaching of Hochma: (1) Jesus is the One who received the Holy Spirit, (2) the Preacher of the Gospel, and (3) the Messiah who sets the oppressed free.

 

-          The phrase “to proclaim good news to the poor” (Lk. 4:18) refers to those whose hearts are open to receive God’s grace and mercy—those “poor in spirit” who will inherit the kingdom of heaven (Mt. 5:3).

 

n  The words “to proclaim freedom for the captives” originally referred to Israel’s return from Babylonian exile but ultimately point to the Messiah’s liberation of all humanity from the power of sin and death.

 

n  The phrase “recovery of sight for the blind” refers to both physical and spiritual restoration of sight.

 

n  The phrase “to set the oppressed free” speaks of Jesus giving peace and freedom to those enslaved by sin, weighed down by worldly anxiety and suffering.

 

(iii)              In Luke 4:19, “to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” refers to the Year of Jubilee described in Leviticus 25:8–55.  Every fifty years, God commanded the cancellation of debts, the liberation of slaves, the rest of the land, and the restoration of people to their ancestral homes.

 

·         This year of liberation symbolizes God’s sovereign grace, by which He frees His people from sin and its consequences—ushering in the new redemptive era led by the Messiah.

 

-          Thus, by quoting Isaiah 61:1–2 in Luke 4:18–19, Jesus clearly revealed that He was fully conscious of His divine mission (Hochma).

 

n  We, too, must clearly recognize our own calling and, as disciples of Jesus, live faithfully according to that mission—so that, following that same calling, we may one day fall asleep (die) in the Lord.

Gospel Song: “The Calling”

 

Jesus had walked alone the road, and I’ll follow Him there

Covered with the blood shed for me, is the path I choose to take.

Nothing can stop me from following You, high mountains nor stormy seas,

For the sake of the lost souls You care, I’m willing to forsake myself

 

Father, please send me, I will freely run this race

Fearing nothing , not even death, Lord, please send me

Though the world would hate me, as You said. I will show them Your great  love

The cross of Salvation guiding my sight, I will follow You still.

 

You have loved me even to death, I’m forever grateful to my Lord

Accept this lowly sacrifice of mine, Lord, with my life I love You.

 

(3)    Summary: The text expresses a prayer and meditation centered on Luke 4:16–19, emphasizing the faithful imitation of Jesus’ lifelong habit of worship and teaching (“as was His custom”), the divine mission revealed in Isaiah 61:1-2, and the believer’s desire to live and die in obedience to that calling—empowered by the Holy Spirit and anchored in the gospel.