The Audience
Isaiah 61:1-3 (NIVUK)
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the
prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour and the day of vengeance for our God
to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion-
to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendour.
Whenever I start a new project, or a new phase of something, I take time to think through what the central focus needs to be. Sometimes this is very easy to see: it will be a particular person, group of people, or outcome; but sometimes it is much harder to see or may even prove to be something or someone you were not planning for. Without clarity, you can end up putting significant time and effort for the wrong result.
In this passage, we are being told to think about who we should spread the message of Jesus to, and God makes it very clear who he wants us to focus on: the poor, the broken-hearted, the captives, the prisoners, and those who mourn. It is much easier to speak to our friends and colleagues, those who we are comfortable with. Of course, it is necessary and good to share the light of God with those close to us, but it is so important to reach out further.
I recall where Jesus spent most of his ministry - it wasn’t in wealthy or comfortable places; it was among those in dire need. Without Jesus' mission in the hard places, and without God revealing to people, such as Paul, his heart of love for 'outsiders', there wouldn’t have been some of the key leaders in the early church and the resulting phenomenal growth.
We see the outcomes of God's mission at the end of the passage where these people become 'a planting for the Lord', like oak trees associated with strength and splendour. The glory of this will not be due to us or the people we reach, it is all God's, as we see, with increasing wonder, his glorious kingdom being built.
Prayer - Lord, help us to reach those that need you most, guide us to the places and people you want us to talk to, and give us the words we need to speak to their hearts, through the power of your Holy Spirit.