Atlanta, the venue of the Centennial Olympics, sought to display the best of USA’s scientific and technological development, administrative and executive efficiency, and the goodness and greatness of American culture. This is the same Atlanta that during the Civil War (1861 - 65) was an important arsenal of the Confederacy. In other words, Atlanta was a military stronghold symbolically advocating, among other things, the institution of slavery.

Today, at a place that is about two hours drive east of Atlanta there is a 250-acre centre for refugees. Cubans, Vietnamese, Cambodians, Central Americans and Bosnian Muslims have been provided rehabilitation facilities at this centre. This refugee reception centre has been set up by a group of Christians who endeavour to practice the Biblical injunction to care for people in need. These Christians call themselves the Jubilee Community.

The Jubilee Community is inspired by the concept of Jubilee articulated in Leviticus 25. Every fiftieth year in the life of the Israeli community was to be celebrated as the Jubilee Year. Perhaps we are all aware of the Jubilee 2000 movement, a global campaign that called for the cancellation of Third World debt. Jesus gives us a vision of the jubilee community in Luke 4:18-19. As we live in a world with an ever-intensifying system of globalisation, Jesus presents us the gospel of a world of love, justice and peace, of God’s reign on earth. (I am indebted to the Bible study of Hans-Ruedi Weber on “Land and Liberty” in Experiments with Bible Study, Geneva: World Council of Churches, 1983, pp. 85 - 92 for the first part of the following Biblical reflection.)

Luke 4: 16 - 21; Leviticus 25
Luke chapter 4 begins with the episode which is popularly referred to as the ‘Temptations of Jesus in the Wilderness” (4:1-13). It would be more meaningful to understand this episode as the “Globalisation Temptations of Jesus in the World.” Jesus was being tempted to subscribe to a culture of easy technological solutions, consumption of fast food and enjoyment of comfortable living (converting stones into bread). Jesus was tempted to think of individual security in a world of life-threatening forces and stock market risks (cushion effect landing to a fall from the pinnacle of the Temple). Jesus was tempted to become a world ruler by means of worldly values and principles (receiving authority and glory by worshipping the devil). Having thus critically reflected on his identity, call and commitment in the cultural, scientific-technological, economic and political context of his times, Jesus begins his public ministry in the “power of the Spirit” and goes about teaching in synagogues (Luke 4: 14 - 15). He thus comes to Nazareth, his hometown and participates in the Sabbath service at the synagogue.

Two important elements of a synagogue service were: a reading from the prophets, and a sermon. Usually a visiting rabbi was given the privilege of doing the prophetic reading and delivering a sermon. On that particular day when Jesus took part in the service, he “stood up to read” (Luke 4: 16) thereby implying that he took the initiative rather than waiting for the local synagogue leader to invite him. Simple though the words “stood up to read” appear to be, they were very significant, just like the words, “And he opened his mouth and taught them” (Matt. 5:2). It is common sense that that when we speak we open our mouths. However the gospel writer wants to emphasize that Jesus was going to say something significant; hence he “opened his mouth” and spoke. In his time there was most probably no fixed almanac for readings from the prophets. The only prescription was that the reading should be neither longer than 21 verses nor shorter than 3 verses. The length and style of Jesus’ reading and his expository comment startled the congregation; it woke them up from the slumber of their traditional, routine Sabbath Service.

The Text
The passage that Jesus selected is found in the opening verses of Isaiah 61.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good tidings to the afflicted; he has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour,”

We do not know how the Jews divided the verses in the time of Jesus. However, according to Luke’s presentation, Jesus hardly read two complete sentences. He had broken the law or tradition of scripture reading. He had hardly read one and a half verses whereas according to convention he had to read a minimum of three verses. Besides, he stopped short in the middle of a sentence. He transformed an innocuous comma into a significant full stop when he concluded his reading with “proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour”. He further stunned the congregation with his one line sermon, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing”. The abrupt ending to his reading and his one line sermon drew pointed attention to the theological concept and existential inauguration of the year of the Lord’s favour - the Jubilee.

The English word ‘Jubilee’ comes through the Greek form of the Hebrew word ‘yobel’ meaning ‘horn’. As we see in Leviticus 25:9, the Jubilee year began on the tenth day of the seventh month of every forty-ninth year in the history of Israel as a nation. The blowing of the ‘yobel’, the loud trumpet that was most probably made of a ram’s horn, heralded the beginning of the Jubilee year.

The celebration of the Jubilee had four important expressions. First the Jubilee began with the observance of the Day of Atonement (Lev. 25:9). What was this Day of Atonement? As recorded in Leviticus 16: 6 - 10, 21 the day of atonement was a day of spiritual cleansing of the people from all their sins, the scapegoat carrying the sins of the people off into the desert. Theologically speaking the concept of atonement implies two important ideas: expiation of sin, and reconciliation of human beings with God. The images of expiation or removal of sin is beautifully described in Psalm 103: 12, “As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us”. So also in Psalm 103: 13 we have a moving picture of reconciliation: “As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear him”. In our world of globalisation where money is God, where individuals seek self-glory, and where the end justifies the means, there is the serious need of emphasizing the turning of people to God.

Second, the Jubilee was a Sabbath year. It was meant to be a year of rest, restoration and recreation not only for human beings and animals (Exodus 23: 12) but also for the land (Lev. 25: 11-12). No agricultural activity was to be undertaken. Human beings and animals were to live on what was stored in barns (cf. Lev. 25: 21 - 22) and whatever grew naturally. It was to be a time of grateful remembrance of God’s good creation (Exodus 20: 11) and of God’s salvific acts in history (cf. Deut. 5: 12, 15). In our world of globalisation where nature and fellow creatures of human beings are being exploited to satisfy the insatiable greed of middle and upper class groups of people, the Sabbath rest of the Jubilee year is a timely sober reminder. 

Third, the Jubilee stood for land reform and just economic legislation. Land purchased from impoverished Israelites was to be restored to them in the fiftieth year: “It shall be a Jubilee for you, when each of you shall return to his property…. “(Lev. 25: 10).  “But if he has not sufficient means to get it back for himself, then what he sold shall remain in the hand of him who bought it until the year of the jubilee; in the jubilee it shall be released, and he shall return to his property” (Lev. 25: 28). There was a strong theological reason for such economic reform: All land belonged to God; human beings had no ultimate possessive claims on it (Lev. 25: 23). Our world of globalisation is tempting people to become richer and richer and to possess more and more. This is so often sought after or achieved at the cost of the weak and poor. The Scriptures remind us that human beings are only trustees of God’s creation: they are called upon to be “responsible” and “sharing” stewards of material blessings.        

Fourth, the Jubilee was a year of liberation for all Israelites who had become slaves (Lev. 25: 47 - 49, 54). The key Hebrew term deror means not only remittance of debts but also liberation of slaves. Once again a theological reason is cited for this social liberative practice. The Israelites are called upon to be God’s slaves; therefore no human being can possess Israelis as slaves (Lev. 25: 55). God indeed had liberated the Israelites from their slavery to human pharaohs, a salvation event which is recorded very vividly in the book of Exodus. In the history of the Israeli nation, the poor Israelites had not only been slaves of foreign pharaohs but also of wealthy Israelis (cf. Jeremiah 34: 12 - 16; Nehemiah 5: 1 - 8). The economic global lords are reducing weaker people to “slaves”, binding them with all the rules of trade and commerce and pre-conditions for granting of financial aid. They are being crushed under the burden of debts. The Jubilee Year stands for God’s gospel of liberation!

Thus the Jubilee focused on important concerns: removal of sins and reconciliation with God; rest, restoration and renewal of all God’s creation; economic justice; and social dignity. This is indeed the spirit of the first two verses of Isaiah 61 that Jesus read out on that eventful day in the Nazareth Synagogue:

“The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me, to bring good tidings to the afflicted; he has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour,”

The Reflection
The one line reflection that followed the reading speaks volumes about the life and mission of Jesus. Having undergone a retreat of critical introspection about his life and work, Jesus realized that God was specially sending him out; indeed he was being anointed and commissioned to bear witness to the gospel of the Jubilee. As we go through the gospel according to Luke we encounter the concerns of Jubilee again and again.

Firstly, the spiritual struggle of human beings to have their sins expiated and to experience reconciliation with God is resolved through the expression of God’s forgiving love. For instance in Luke 5: 20 the ailing paralytic is healed with the words of Jesus, “Man, your sins are forgiven you”. Many Jews believed that every affliction was God’s punishment for sin, and that even children could be punished for the sins of their parents. In John 9:2 the disciples themselves had asked Jesus the cause of a person’s blindness, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind?” The stigma of sin bound handicapped people and in particular lepers, just as today sex workers and AIDS patients are stigmatised by our self-righteous legalisms. There was to be no liberation for them. It is in such a context that the words of Jesus to the paralytic are liberating in significance. The parables in Luke 15 emphasize God’s labour of love to seek and save the lost, the magnanimity of God’s forgiving love, and the boundless joy of God over the repentance and conversion of even one person in the world.

Secondly, the gospel according to Luke is critical of Jewish religion that had reduced the precious principles of rest, restoration and renewal of all God’s creation into a burdensome ritual. For instance in Luke 6 we see how Jesus emphasizes that human need to resolve hunger (cf. verses 1-5) and creation’s need for healing (cf. verses 6 -11) should be given greater attention on the Sabbath day rather than observing an inhumane legalistic principle of “No work on Sabbath days”. So also in Luke 11: 42 - 52 we find Jesus making very critical statements about the life-style and ritualistic religion of the Pharisees. While legalistically conforming themselves to external religion, they neglected the deeper concerns of rest, restoration and renewal of all creation through God’s love and justice.

Thirdly, the gospel according to Luke highlights the need for economic reform. This concern is expressed in verses articulating God’s special love for the poor and needy. For instance the beatitudes in Luke 6: 20 - 22 invoke blessings on the poor, the hungry and the suffering. Then again in the parable of Jesus (Luke 16: 19 - 31), Lazarus the poor man goes to Abraham’s bosom while the rich man goes to Hades. The sin of the rich man was that he left the poor man Lazarus to be bound in his poverty. He maintained and thrived upon the status quo: the divide between the rich and the poor. It was the principle of economic legalism. It was clearly expressed in one verse of the popular hymn, “All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small” which went like this: “The rich man in his castle, the poor man at the gate; God made them high or lowly, and ordered their estate”. Zachhaeus in Luke 19 gives expression to his repentance through economic restitution: “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded any one of anything, I restore it fourfold” (vs. 8).

Fourthly, social justice is another major concern of the gospel according to Luke. In the context of a patriarchal Jewish culture, where a Jewish male daily thanked God for not having made him a woman, the gospel according to Luke expresses a special concern for women. For instance Luke presents us the beautiful infancy narratives in which Elizabeth and Mary figure predominantly. Not only a devout Simeon but also a pious Ann looks forward to the birth of Jesus. Besides women, the gospel according to Luke expresses concern for slaves (7:2), Samaritans (10: 29 - 37) and people of other faiths (4: 26 - 27). Those whom Jewish men socially and traditionally looked down upon and bound by their laws are shown tender care and special appreciation. Exulting in the good news that Jesus was to be born, Mary declared that God had exalted those of low degree (1: 52)