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
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.
Isaiah 61:1-3 NIV
Good News to the Poor
Considering Canada’s wealth and resources, a disproportionate number of Canadians are living in poverty. In 2021, 7.3% of the Canadian population was living in poverty, a total of 2.7 million persons. This included over 600,000 persons in deep poverty (1.7% of the population) and over 2 million who were living in shallow poverty (5.7% of the population). In addition, 6.9% of the Canadian population was living in households with incomes just above the poverty line, a total of 2,5 million.
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Throughout his prophetic writing, Isaiah spoke often about the coming of the Messiah. God had planned for Jesus’ arrival from before time itself and reveals important aspects of this great event. He did so for two reasons – He wanted His people to have the assurance that redemption was on its way, that they did not always have to live in their sin and waywardness, and He wanted them to recognize the Messiah when He came. What the prophet writes in Isaiah 61:1-3 covers both of these goals of God: “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 and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.”
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley