What is Man?

I was reading the Bible this morning in Luke chapter 4, where Jesus goes to the synagogue in Nazareth and read from the book of Isaiah (for us it would be chapter 61). The passage says, in part,

“He [God] has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and to recover the sight of the blind; To set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.”

He tells the Jews that the passage refers to Him. “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” When the Pharisees hear this they get pretty upset. Jesus responds that no amount of signs would convince them, and says, “no prophet is accepted in his own country.” He illustrates this fact with the following: In time of great unfaithfulness, God sent Elijah to Zaraphath, a widow of Sidon, and He sent Elisha to cleanse Naaman, the Syrian general, of leprosy.

The Jews get so angry they try to throw Christ off a cliff. Why? Because the Lord Jesus was telling the Pharisees that they were esteemed less than not just Gentiles, but also widows and lepers.

Jewish men had a prayer that they would pray daily. It said, “Blessed art thou, O God, for not making me a Gentile, slave, or woman.” The beautiful picture in this passage of Luke is that Christ came to break down this wall of separation. Everyone would have access to His grace; the women who were previously not allowed to worship, the gentiles who were not of the chosen people, the lepers who where cast out of the camp, the slaves who had no rights. “To set at liberty…”

Paul highlights this doctrine in Galations 3:28:

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” This isn’t a statement of rank or leadership position, but a picture of the universal offer of grace to all humankind.

Praise the Lord that in this age He has extended to us all the grace once reserved for His chosen people, and made us heirs and priests of God.
-T.A.