Luke 4:18-19

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.
He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives,
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set free those who are downtrodden,
To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord."

In one of Jesus' very first teachings of His public ministry He reads and quotes from the Old Testament prophet Isaiah (Chapter 61, Verses 1 & 2). He then immediately thereafter declares that the Scriptures, this Scripture, was fulfilled right before the hearing ears of those who heard it spoken. (cf. Luke 4:21) An astounding proclamation, especially for Messianic Jews who envisioned their messiah as someone and something entirely different than a man from Nazareth. He shattered their paradigms, but also astonishingly spoke with conviction, confidence and as one with authority. So their minds were tweaked, and they didn't know what to think. Quite frankly, my mind is tweaked when I read this, but for reasons other than those who heard Jesus audibly.

I'm amazed at and by Jesus' mission. The poor, the captives, the blind, the downtrodden... these are those whom Jesus came to save. It was His work, His career if you will. Later in John 17 Jesus is quoted as praying that He "accomplished the work which Thou hast given Me to do." (John 17:4b) He finished His task and it was time to go home. He preached the gospel to the poor, He proclaimed release to the captives, He recovered sight to the blind, He set freedom to those who were downtrodden, and He proclaimed the favorable year of the Lord. And while all this was accomplished for those who He came into contact with, He equipped His chosen ones to carry out this very same work while He went on to prepare a place for us to reside with Him into eternal rest.

If I've ever wondered or pondered what my life's calling is, I need wonder and ponder no longer. No Christian need question what their life's ambition should be or their life's direction should head. I, we, have been chosen to carry on and proclaim this very same message of the gospel wherever I/we go. Nothing gives me greater excitement or fulfillment than this. The Spirit of the Lord is indeed also upon me. The favorable year of the Lord is now.