Year 6, Day 45: Isaiah 61

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: Power

• Power: This is the natural outcome when we truly get our authority from the king.  When our authority is from God, we are equipped with His power to accomplish His will.  We act on His behalf in a world that He desperately loves.

Isaiah 61 opens with a statement of power.  “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me.”  Isaiah feels empowered to declare the Lord’s favor.  Isaiah has gotten his authority from God and now has been given the green light to declare a time of God’s favor.

Once empowered, Isaiah talks about the Lord’s anointed.  Let’s look deeply at what the Lord’s anointed is empowered to do?  The Lord’s anointed is to bring good news to the poor.  He is to bandage up the broken-hearted.  He is to proclaim liberty to the captives.  He is to open the prison doors to those who are bound.

I find this list striking.  There isn’t anything about dominating over people.  There isn’t anything about being superior.  There isn’t anything about lording it over other people.  There isn’t anything about living a life of luxury while other people are overtaxed with work.  From a human perspective, we would expect the powerful to live an easy life.

But that is not so.  The Lord’s anointed is empowered to serve.  The Lord’s anointed is empowered to heal.  The Lord’s anointed is empowered to proclaim favor to others.  That’s true power.

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