Luke 4:18, Caring for the Poor

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.”

//These are the words of Jesus, explaining why he was sent into the world by God. It is to bring good news to the poor.

Some context helps. Jesus is just beginning his public ministry, and he returns to his hometown of Nazareth. He enters the synagogue during a Sabbath gathering, unrolls the scroll of Isaiah, and begins reading aloud the words of today’s verse. Good news for the poor. Isaiah’s proph...