Devo Week 22

Year of Jubilee -- God’s Favor to the Nations

Jubilee is simply the way things were created to be: eyes were meant to see and ears to hear; legs and feet were meant to walk, and tongues to speak. It’s a time of freedom for the captives and hope for the poor. Not only those things, but we were created to live in favor with God and each other. Jubilee signifies a new start for all people. What simple and yet profound Good News!

Key Concept: Time of God's Favor

Through Jesus, the time of the Lord's favor had come for the Jews and all nations. Jesus made a declaration in His first sermon from Isaiah 61:1-3, then later sent word to John the Baptist through His disciples that the blind could see, the lame could walk, the deaf could hear and the dumb could speak. In other words, something had shifted -- the Kingdom of God was in their midst and being expressed in a new way.

During Jubilee God changes our personal and/or cultural circumstances. It could be the whole future of a nation. Think of the new era the peace child fulfillment meant for the Sawi people who were decimated by violence and war. They experienced Jubilee as Jesus became their peace child!

We experienced tangible favor with the Akha by our simple act of speaking their language and living among them. As we shared life together, in sickness and in health, we became each other's advocates. We often stood in the gap for each other, helping translate and explain situations that unfolded before us. This happened among the Akeu as well. Together, we drew strength from each other.

God speaks our language and understands life as it comes to each of us! He sets things right: restoring relationships, breaking bondages, releasing captives, and redeeming the poor. That’s Jubilee — when the favor of the Lord is expressed to all nations through the coming of Jesus!

Key Word Definition: Jubilee (noun)

-- a special anniversary of an event, especially one celebrating twenty-five or fifty years of a reign or activity

-- The Jubilee is the year at the end of seven cycles and, according to biblical regulations, had a special impact on the ownership and management of land in the Land of Israel. According to the Book of Leviticus, Hebrew slaves and prisoners would be freed, debts would be forgiven, and the mercies of God would be particularly manifest.

Excerpt from Devotional 22 with highlighted word:

"Early in the ministry of Jesus, John the Baptist had been imprisoned for preaching the truth about Herod. After a time, John had started to waver on Jesus’ identity. To silence John's doubts, Jesus sent him word: 'Go tell him the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame walk and the good news is preached to the poor.' In other words, Jubilee is here! The time of the Lord’s favor through the Messiah had come."

Scripture: Luke 4:18-19

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, and he has anointed me to be hope for the poor, freedom for the brokenhearted, and new eyes for the blind, and to preach to prisoners, ‘You are set free!’ I have come to share the message of Jubilee, for the time of God’s great acceptance has begun.”