Here are some follow up devotionals to the Sunday School Lesson "Poverty is a Priority." I've broken them up into 3 days if you want to do them a section at a time or feel free to do them all together or whatever pace works for you.
If you haven't seen the video click here to watch the video. Use pastor Dave's email address ([email protected]) and the password "media123" to sign in.
Day 1
Turn to Luke 4:16-22
Here we find a dramatic moment. Jesus is in his home
town, and he’s been asked to do the Scripture reading.
At what point in Jesus’ ministry did this occur?
In what way did this Scripture “come true” that day, before their eyes?
In a way, Jesus was launching his ministry, and this was his mission statement.
He was “proclaiming freedom.” The fact that he was here on earth was an
indication that the time of God’s favor had come.
How did people react at first?
How did they react later (vs. 23-30)
Why do you think they reacted like that?
Day 2
So let’s look deeper at the Scripture that Jesus read in the synagogue
Turn to Isaiah 61: 1-4
What’s the tone of this message? How does it make you feel?
Who is the “me” in these verses? Who’s saying this?
Prophetic writings are weird like that. You don’t always know who’s talking.
And it could mean one thing to Isaiah and another thing to Jesus. So this could
be the prophet, talking about his own ministry. But the preceding chapters of
Isaiah talk about a “Suffering Servant” who would give his life for his wandering
people (see Isaiah 53). Jesus fulfilled those prophecies. It’s possible that
Isaiah was still talking about the Messiah-figure who would come and help the
people of earth. By the way, the Hebrew word Messiah means “anointed one.”
Specifically what changes are being discussed here? What effect will
this person have?
What do you think is "the year of the Lord's favor?"
For that answer we need to dig deeper.
Day 3
Turn to Leviticus 25: 8-13, the third book of the Bible. We find an ancient tradition spelled out in the Jewish law.
What is this about? What was supposed to happen?
What effect would that have, for land to revert to its original owners?
Remember that this was the Promised Land, which God carefully divided
among the tribes of Israel. It was God’s land, and he knew people might buy
more land if they got rich or sell if they needed money, but God wanted to
ensure that the next generation would get a clean slate. Every fifty years, land
went back to the original family that owned it. That way, people wouldn’t get
locked into wealth or poverty.
Read verses 35-38.
How were the Israelites supposed to treat the poor?
There are a couple of interesting details in this passage. First is the
comparison to the “alien or temporary resident” (v. 35). Elsewhere, God gives
instructions for treating foreigners with kindness (see Leviticus 19:33-34). A
second detail is that this passage is not about giving handouts, but giving a
second chance. Food could be sold, but without profit. Loans would be paid
back, but without interest. Elsewhere the need to give alms to the poor is
upheld, but here the emphasis is on avoiding (or climbing out of) the
poverty trap.
Read verses 39-43
How do you feel about this instruction?
You might be shocked that it talks so freely about slavery. But see what it says.
If a farmer has some bad years and can’t afford to buy seed or equipment,
he might agree to work as a servant in someone else’s household. This was
common in the ancient world.
But what would happen to these “economic slaves” when the Year of
Jubilee came around?
So if you were a slave in ancient Israel, how would you feel in the Year of
Jubilee?
The Year of Jubilee was designed as a resetting of society. God knew that the
rich would get richer and the poor poorer, sometimes through sinful practices
(on either side). He also knew that this inequality would last from generation to
generation, unless something was done. This special year would correct that,
and give everyone a chance to start over.
We have no evidence that it was ever followed. We don’t know that it wasn’t,
but you’d expect that such a major economic adjustment would be reported
somewhere else in Scripture. It’s not.
So let’s bring this back again to Isaiah and Jesus. Isaiah says that this
“anointed one” will “preach good news to the poor,” “proclaim freedom for the
captives,” and “proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor” (Isa. 61:1-2).
How does your understanding of the Year of Jubilee fit into that?
Jesus reads that Isaiah passage and claims it as a kind of mission
statement. Do you see any similarities between Jesus’ ministry and the
Year of Jubilee?
If this was Jesus’ mission—preaching good news to the poor, binding up
the brokenhearted, and proclaiming Jubilee freedom—should it be our
mission too? How so?
If you haven't seen the video click here to watch the video. Use pastor Dave's email address ([email protected]) and the password "media123" to sign in.
Day 1
Turn to Luke 4:16-22
Here we find a dramatic moment. Jesus is in his home
town, and he’s been asked to do the Scripture reading.
At what point in Jesus’ ministry did this occur?
In what way did this Scripture “come true” that day, before their eyes?
In a way, Jesus was launching his ministry, and this was his mission statement.
He was “proclaiming freedom.” The fact that he was here on earth was an
indication that the time of God’s favor had come.
How did people react at first?
How did they react later (vs. 23-30)
Why do you think they reacted like that?
Day 2
So let’s look deeper at the Scripture that Jesus read in the synagogue
Turn to Isaiah 61: 1-4
What’s the tone of this message? How does it make you feel?
Who is the “me” in these verses? Who’s saying this?
Prophetic writings are weird like that. You don’t always know who’s talking.
And it could mean one thing to Isaiah and another thing to Jesus. So this could
be the prophet, talking about his own ministry. But the preceding chapters of
Isaiah talk about a “Suffering Servant” who would give his life for his wandering
people (see Isaiah 53). Jesus fulfilled those prophecies. It’s possible that
Isaiah was still talking about the Messiah-figure who would come and help the
people of earth. By the way, the Hebrew word Messiah means “anointed one.”
Specifically what changes are being discussed here? What effect will
this person have?
What do you think is "the year of the Lord's favor?"
For that answer we need to dig deeper.
Day 3
Turn to Leviticus 25: 8-13, the third book of the Bible. We find an ancient tradition spelled out in the Jewish law.
What is this about? What was supposed to happen?
What effect would that have, for land to revert to its original owners?
Remember that this was the Promised Land, which God carefully divided
among the tribes of Israel. It was God’s land, and he knew people might buy
more land if they got rich or sell if they needed money, but God wanted to
ensure that the next generation would get a clean slate. Every fifty years, land
went back to the original family that owned it. That way, people wouldn’t get
locked into wealth or poverty.
Read verses 35-38.
How were the Israelites supposed to treat the poor?
There are a couple of interesting details in this passage. First is the
comparison to the “alien or temporary resident” (v. 35). Elsewhere, God gives
instructions for treating foreigners with kindness (see Leviticus 19:33-34). A
second detail is that this passage is not about giving handouts, but giving a
second chance. Food could be sold, but without profit. Loans would be paid
back, but without interest. Elsewhere the need to give alms to the poor is
upheld, but here the emphasis is on avoiding (or climbing out of) the
poverty trap.
Read verses 39-43
How do you feel about this instruction?
You might be shocked that it talks so freely about slavery. But see what it says.
If a farmer has some bad years and can’t afford to buy seed or equipment,
he might agree to work as a servant in someone else’s household. This was
common in the ancient world.
But what would happen to these “economic slaves” when the Year of
Jubilee came around?
So if you were a slave in ancient Israel, how would you feel in the Year of
Jubilee?
The Year of Jubilee was designed as a resetting of society. God knew that the
rich would get richer and the poor poorer, sometimes through sinful practices
(on either side). He also knew that this inequality would last from generation to
generation, unless something was done. This special year would correct that,
and give everyone a chance to start over.
We have no evidence that it was ever followed. We don’t know that it wasn’t,
but you’d expect that such a major economic adjustment would be reported
somewhere else in Scripture. It’s not.
So let’s bring this back again to Isaiah and Jesus. Isaiah says that this
“anointed one” will “preach good news to the poor,” “proclaim freedom for the
captives,” and “proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor” (Isa. 61:1-2).
How does your understanding of the Year of Jubilee fit into that?
Jesus reads that Isaiah passage and claims it as a kind of mission
statement. Do you see any similarities between Jesus’ ministry and the
Year of Jubilee?
If this was Jesus’ mission—preaching good news to the poor, binding up
the brokenhearted, and proclaiming Jubilee freedom—should it be our
mission too? How so?