Ripe for Harvest

160 • R IPE FOR H ARVEST

Levitical law provided that after the birth of a son a woman would be unclean for seven days leading up to the circumcision and that for a further thirty-three days she should keep away from all holy things . . . Then she should offer a lamb and a dove pigeon. If she was too poor for a lamb a second dove or pigeon sufficed instead. (Leviticus 12.6-13). Mary’s offering was thus that of the poor.

~ Leon Morris. The Gospel According to St. Luke. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries . Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1983. p. 87.

2. As a social outcast

a. Born in a stable, Luke 2.7

b. Under assumed illegitimacy, Luke 3.23

3. He lives the life of the poor.

a. No place to lay his head, Matt. 8.20

b. Oppressed by the established authorities – both religious and secular, Isa. 53.7-8; Matt. 21.46; 22.15-16; Mark 3.6; John 7.32.

c. Supported by the contributions of others, Luke 8.3.

B. Jesus defined and validated his messianic mission by making the poor his central priority.

Luke 4.16-21 – And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. [17] And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, [18] “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, [19] to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” [20] And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. [21] And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

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