Luke 4:16-20
Today's Advent Reading


The prophet Isaiah foretold the birth of Jesus, the Messiah. When Jesus grew to be a man, he went to the synagogue in Nazareth and read another passage from Isaiah which spoke about him: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." (Isaiah 61:1,2, NIV)

When my husband Tim and I were at a soup kitchen recently, we met a man who had just been released from jail. He was glad to be released, but he still yearned for a different kind of freedom. He had his bedroll with him since he was now homeless. A new friend of ours, Steve, comes down every night to this soup kitchen to sit and talk with people who come there. He had met this man before his jail sentence, and the man recognized him as someone who could give him what he needed.

Steve prayed with him and encouraged him, telling him of the hope of freedom that there is in Christ. Steve has a mission--to find single Christian men and women who will open up their homes to a homeless person and offer them a new life--not just in the world, but real hope in Christ--the one who gives freedom to the captive, sight to the blind, who releases the oppressed and proclaims the year of the Lord's favor.




- posted by Suzi @ 7:22 AM