Luke 4:16-30
Jesus makes it clear that the Good News he brings is, first of all, for the poor and the oppressed: “He has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free. . .” Many of the authorities and influential people in Israel could hardly accept this because they had traditionally thought that the poor are simply cursed by God for whatever reason. Only the affluent in society are blessed by God.
In his public ministry, Jesus shows special heart for the poor, the sick and the sinners. These are the people who suffer from different kinds of enslavement – from poverty, illness and, above all, from sin. Because of Jesus' attitude, these people are given hope and direction in their life.
Today, the gospel inspires us to possess the virtue of special love for the poor and the less fortunate. If we are poor ourselves, we should remain hopeful because our Loving God knows our situation. But, if we are among the rich and powerful, we should do whatever we can to uplift the situation of our needy brothers and sisters.
