Isaiah 61:1-3

Jesus Christ (the anointed One). The word anoint means to cover or smear with oil. This passage begins with “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because He has anointed me to bring good news…“. Jesus claimed these words, spoken by Isaiah 7 centuries prior, as His own when he read them to His synagogue in Nazareth and told them, “today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing“. Jesus was covered with the Holy Spirit for the purpose of delivering a specific word to this earth. It was a wonderful word spoken to a specific group of people; people with these characteristics; afflicted, brokenhearted, captives, prisoners, those who mourn and are languid in spirit.

Why would God direct His word especially to this group? Aren’t these the characteristics of those we think of as “losers”? Our passage causes me to think of James 4:6 – “God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble“. I wonder if God is attracted to this group because they are the only ones who “have ears to hear”; ones who are more inclined to ask questions; ones whose experience has confirmed to them that they are in need? There is little God can say to a proud person. They don’t “have ears to hear”. They don’t have any questions because they have all the answers. The world thinks of these self sufficient types “winners”. But not God.

What was it that caused the gospel of Jesus the anointed One to become a revolution sufficient to turn the world upside down (Acts 17:6) in less than a century? Was it the early church’s facilities; their organizational genius; their ability to raise money; their programs; their vision? I believe primitive Christianity took root and grew because it got planted in the lives of humble people and first revolutionized their hearts. They were infected with a contagious new Life (not a new religion) that spread throughout the known world as these people told their stories one to another. Individuals who were captive to Satan were liberated. Its big news when an afflicted soul is given a new spirit and liberated from their captivity to sin and religion. Those who were mourning were given new hearts of praise. Those who were downcast and brokenhearted became encouraged. Diseased bodies were healed. These people had become what Isaiah referred to as “oaks of righteousness, the plantings of the Lord“. By them God would be glorified.

As a contractor I have always been partial to a passage in Amos where God appeared to this prophet next to a vertical wall holding a plumb line. In case you are unfamiliar with a plumb line, it a true reference point to build from. With the assistance of gravity a dangling weight defines a perfectly vertical reference point. I am inclined to refer to passages like this one in Isaiah or the book of Acts and say, wasn’t this supposed to be the reference point? Every builder knows you must have blue prints and bench marks so that the end product will look as the designer intended.

I suppose that for us, who are filled with His Holy Spirit, who are following Jesus, those to whom He has said, “as the Father has sent Me, I also send you” (Jn 20:21), we too, like our Master, are builders and should have the correct reference points. I have a friend I deeply respect notice that in my writing that I express a kind of disappointment in the local church and its leaders. This friend is pretty discerning. I confess that I have been judgmental in this regard. I am doing my best to repent of this terrible attitude and make restitution where my words have wounded people. Yet, after reconciliation is achieved. I still have a dilemma because I read the book of Acts. I don’t believe that it was included as a teaser. I believe it was included as a reference point for normal Christianity – a plumb line from which to measure.

I am wondering how the thing I am looking at, that we are calling church, turned out looking like it does if the scriptures were the reference point. I am appealing to the Designer for whatever change orders are required so Jesus can present this building – His Body, into which we have each been joined together as living stones, to the Father at the appointed time. In light of these thoughts, for those who are building, especially the overseers and elders, I think we must take a close look at the wall we are building to see if it matches the plumb line. Another way of approaching this would be to ask ourselves, “What criteria do we use to measure the health of our personal and our corporate spirituality?”.

Father, we know that one day You will present Your Bride to Your Father. This is the day that all creation longs for. This is the day for which, we as your children, groan, as in labor, awaiting to experience. May our hearts be humble and teachable in case we find there is some demolition needed there of old and unstable things that only appear acceptable when measured against tradition as opposed to the plumb line of Your word. Sustain our hearts should shaking be necessary. Amen.

Share via
Copy link
Powered by Social Snap