Live FreeSample

Free to Set Free

We are not just free from something, we are free for something. We are free to help set others free.  In other words, Jesus’ mission is our mission.

What I love about the start of Jesus’ ministry in Luke 4 is the clarity he brought to his mission. After 40 days of testing in the desert, He visits the temple and begins reading from a scroll—one the Jews had been reading from for centuries. Jesus creates this “drop the mic” moment when he states his fulfillment of the Word:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on 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.”

Jesus is basically saying, “I’m the man you and all your ancestors have been waiting for thousands of years.”

If Jesus’ mission has become our mission, then you can find your part by answering these questions:

Good news to the poor: How can I share Christ with those in my life who are physically, emotionally, or spiritually poor?

Freedom for the prisoner: How can I help others break the bondage of fear, pain, and shame and introduce them to the Son of God who sets them free?

Sight for the blind: How can I help people see what they can’t see or help them see what God sees in them?  How can I promote and nurture healing in someone’s life?

Freedom for the oppressed: How can I carry the load for someone today?  How can I remove or relieve the weight that others around me are feeling?

Have you noticed how we tend to be drawn to people who fully live from their freedom? Life is more than knowing we have a Savior. It is also living out our salvation. Jesus Christ has set us free and we can live a life that is free in deed and free indeed!

Prayer

God, I praise you for the freedom you give me in Christ. It is through your strength and power that I can forgive. Help me continue to choose a life fueled by faith, hope, and love, knowing that I’m fully adopted as your child. Jesus, your mission is my mission. Show me what part you want me to play today in guiding others to a life that is free indeed! Amen.