“The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the LORD’s favor has come.” Luke 4:18-19 NLT
Luke is one of my favorite books of the Bible. The stories Dr. Luke tells are so touching, illustrating with clarity the heart of Jesus. Luke tells us that Jesus wasted no time letting the world know why He was here. In His very first message at the hometown synagogue in Nazareth, He announced that He was here for the marginalized and outsiders of the world. Instead of currying favor with the rich and powerful, He was coming with compassion and grace for everyone, especially targeting the little people.
Francis Schaffer titled his commentary on the Gospel of Luke, No Little People. That’s what you see over and over as you read the book. Jesus was always reaching out and down for those unnoticed by others. People who felt out of place, who were outsiders and marginalized. Jesus had no problem bringing himself into any situation where someone was on the outside. He saw Himself as the host of every party. He wanted no one left out, no one left behind. So He was always looking and noticing. With Jesus, everyone was seen.
- He saw Zaccheus, a hated and ostracized tax collector, hiding in a tree.
- He saw the woman at the well, a woman so outside the circle of community acceptance that she came to the well to draw water when it was hot and inconvenient so she wouldn’t see anyone.
- He saw and touched the lepers no one else would touch.
- He saw the children His own disciples wanted to chase away.
- He saw Peter, a hardworking unschooled fisherman and invited him to follow.
- He saw a poor widow weeping over the loss of her only son and stopped to help her.
- He saw the thief on the cross and gave him a forever home.
Jesus saw no little people. He only saw people with incredible worth and value. He brought the outsiders in. He gave the displaced a home. He gave the marginalized a place in His welcoming circle of grace, He introduced them to the Father. He gave them a family. He opened up a fulfilling future.
That’s still what Jesus does.
- “It’s grace that has brought us safe this far, and grace will lead us home.” Thank Him for leading you to Father God, your church family, and leading you daily.