When Jesus came to Nazareth to begin his ministry he stood in the synagogue and read these words from Isaiah. "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Luke 4:18 – 19 Then as was the custom, he sat down to deliver his sermon. Jesus said, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

Thus, Jesus began his ministry by declaring a Jubilee year. According to Jewish law, the land was to lie fallow every seven years. This was called a Sabbath year. But after the seventh Sabbath year, there was to be a year of Jubilee. At these fifty-year intervals, all debt was to be forgiven. All who were taken in slavery as a debt settlement were to be released, and all land that was sold reverted to the original owners. It is not clear how often this practice was followed, and when it was practiced it often led to abuse. For example, people refused to lend money when the time to forgiveness was short.

Then, why was Jesus proclaiming a year of Jubilee? This question must be answered in light of what was happening in Jesus' time. There was extreme poverty. The Romans and King Herod would lend money to the poor. When they could not repay the loans, their land was confiscated and they became day laborers on what were originally their own lands. As the debts mounted, many were made to be slaves. Jesus set out to correct these abuses.

Jesus knew that this was a dangerous venture. Before the day was out, those who listened to him in the synagogue tried to kill him by throwing him over a cliff, but he somehow escaped. He must have known from the beginning that this road would eventually lead to his death. But the scriptures say that he looked on the people with compassion. Much of his teaching was directed at the abuses wrought on the poor. He lived and ate with them even though they were not ritually clean. When people live in extreme poverty there is not time for ritual cleansing.

Today we live in a world in which the gulf between those who have and those who have not is getting ever wider and deeper. A study on the effects of global warming has been completed recently by the pentagon. It predicts that within twenty years, global warming could become cataclysmic because of its effect on food production. They indicate that world war could quickly ensue over rights to the food that is produced. What do we, as Christians, do in times like these? Do we hoard what we have, or do we share with the poor? Jesus' agenda is very relevant to our time.

Prayer: Oh God, in our heart of hearts, we know the answer to that question. We face perilous times to which there is no simple solution. We know that violence is not the answer. Jesus showed us a better way, By helping each other, rather than hoarding, we can make a huge difference. Give us a vision of your Kingdom, Oh God. Amen.