Justice and the Life of Jesus

A Foundation of Justice

In Luke 4, Jesus stands in the synagogue and announces his ministry with these words from the prophet Isaiah:

 “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.” (Luke 4:18–19 NIV). 

Right from the beginning, we see that Jesus ministry is built on a foundation of justice. Notably, Jesus ends this reading with a reference to “the year of the Lord’s favor.” What does this mean?

You’ve probably heard of the word “Sabbath,” which comes from the Old Testament. Sabbath was the seventh day of the week, when all people were to rest and honor God. One of the unique elements of Sabbath is that even slaves and animals were required to rest (Exodus 20:10). In the ancient world, this was unheard of! 

There weren’t only Sabbath days. There were also Sabbath years. Every 7 years was a Sabbath year, where the land was not to be tilled and all were to be at rest. Then, every 50 years there was what was called a year of Jubilee, where debts were cancelled and everyone returned to their ancestor’s land. Another term for the year of Jubilee is Jesus’ phrase, “the year of the Lord’s favor.” Jubilee was like a Sabbath of Sabbaths: those who had nothing were given back their land.

What we see here is that Sabbath brought wholeness back to people’s lives.

Those who were drowning in debt found freedom. Those who were overworked found rest. Those who were poor were allowed to harvest from the fields that were lying fallow. It was a time for the oppressed to find release.

Sabbath isn’t just about rest. It’s about justice.

When Jesus announces his ministry with Sabbath language (“the year of the Lord’s favor”), we should remember that he wasn’t just saying souls would find rest in him (though that’s true). He was building his ministry upon a foundation of justice, where wrongs would be made right. 

Biblical peace is more than the absence of conflict; it’s restoring something until it is whole again. Have you seen God do this work in your own life? How?

How might you be called to bring shalom to the world? Consider these questions to begin fleshing that out (and don’t worry, you’ll continue to talk about this throughout the chapter. Just begin.)

What injustices have you suffered yourself?

What injustices disturb you the most?

For whom do you feel the most compassion?

What do you think Jesus showed the most concern for?

What fractured relationships or habits are present in your life that need shalom?