I knew in high school that I wanted to go into the sciences. But, I also had a keen interest in scripture and theology. Given that my knowledge of the latter was bleak, I decided to invest a couple of years establishing a foundation in Biblical studies before moving on into the sciences. I enrolled at Rosedale Bible Institute, a small Mennonite school devoted to scriptural and theological studies.
One Sunday afternoon during my first year at RBI, Dave Shenk, a new friend and brother, asked me to go with him to a nursing home to visit a friend of his. It turns out that his friend was a bedridden intellectual and staunch agnostic. Dave argued, bantered, and laughed with him over issues of faith. Then he said, “I want to read something to you.” Dave proceeded to read words I had never heard before. They were words that immediately wove themselves into my soul . . .
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Isaiah 61:1-2a, NIV)
I was speechless. Upon returning to the dorm that afternoon, I pulled out the guitar, as a good 70’s teenager would do, and put the passage to music. It became my lifesong. Thank you Dave for speaking these words of hope to the old friend in the nursing home. Thank you for speaking them into my life.
About three years later, three close brothers and I found ourselves standing in what was described to us by Roy Kreider, a scholar and missionary, as the most authentic archaeological landmark in all of Israel, and unquestionably linked to Jesus’ life and ministry. It was a non-descript, out-of-the-way hole in the wall in the back streets of Nazareth. It was about three feet below the level of modern Nazareth, and geographically oriented to proclaim its purpose: it was the synagogue.
What’s the significance? In Luke chapter 4 we find Jesus entering this same room on the Sabbath. He stood up to read as the scroll of Isaiah was brought to him. He opened it up and read the passage referenced above. He then rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on him. He then announced, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Jesus proclaimed that he was the embodiment of Isaiah’s words.
I recognize that some scholars get caught up in the differences between the Isaiah 61:1-2a and Luke 4:18-19 texts. Textual critics have questioned the legitimacy of Luke’s account based on these discrepancies. But, if one looks closely at the passages, moving beyond the literal discrepancies, four common elements stand out in both passages: both proclaim hope, freedom, healing, and forgiveness.
Jesus, the ultimate slice of God, is the fulfillment of these four gifts. He freely offers hope to those who are living in despair, freedom from the entrapments of this broken world (including religious constraints), healing of body, mind, and spirit, and forgiveness that extends beyond the bounds of time. Beyond the bounds of time?
I grew up with a skewed understanding of forgiveness. I thought forgiveness was a function of asking for and earning it. It was dependent on one’s level of sincerity and consistency. Jesus, however, defied that model: he repeatedly forgave people who didn’t ask for it, let alone prove they deserved it. Jesus announced a new state of forgiveness. He moved beyond the bounds of time by demonstrating that repentance is a response to forgiveness. He flip-flopped what we think of as cause and effect.
God is in the business of forgiving: outside the bounds of time. It happens long before we realize it. What’s more, if we are friends of God, or slices of this slice of God, we too can speak forgiveness, not only to the lives around us, but to ourselves. We can freely offer forgiveness that escapes explanation, forgiveness that is timeless, forgiveness that goes beyond our tiny theological boxes. [1] We are privileged to proclaim “the year of the Lord’s favor,” the year of Jubilee! We are a part of wiping the slate clean. We initiate the ultimate reboot! That is what the year of Jubilee is: forgiving debt, resetting the boundaries, and offering a fresh start. Freely.
Jesus announced that this Jubilee extends beyond the limits of time. Hope, freedom, healing, and forgiveness are for all time: past, present, and future.
Back to the synagogue in Nazareth . . . I couldn’t resist the opportunity that day: I stood behind the podium and quoted the Isaiah passage. It was mystical. It rebooted my purpose. It still does.
-Sam Augsburger
[1] There may be only one thing that can nullify this amazing forgiveness. It is a fractal principle! For more on this topic, read Phase 4 in the book: Slices of God.
