Luke 4-Oppression and Ethnocentrism

This blog on Luke 4 analyzes the social evils of oppression and ethnocentrism.  Ideally a person should have completed the thirteen Bible study lessons on oppression and justice from the previous blog titled: "Spirituality without justice, Spirituality with justice".  The point of Luke 4 would be much clearer and sharper if you have already made an in-depth study of oppression and justice.

Luke 4: 18-19 highlights four key concepts: the Spirit, the poor, the oppressed, and Jubilee Justice.

The following scripture verses from Luke, highlight the negative role of the rich, wealth, possessions, money.  In Luke, the rich and powerful elite are identified as the social problem, not the poor.  See these scriptures:
Luke 1:13; 3:11-14; 6:24; 8:14; 12:13-21; 12:22-34; 16:13-31; 18:18-30; 19:1-10; 19:45-46.

All of these are essentially anti-rich so a person doing an in-depth analysis of Luke 4:18-19, which doesn't specifically mention the rich, needs to understand that in Luke the rich were seen as the oppressors of the poor.

In Luke 4:25-30, the issue of ethnocentrism comes up-the supposed superiority of Jew over Gentile.
William Barclay says this about the the relationship of Jew and Gentile during NT times: "The Jew had an immense contempt for a Gentile.  The Gentiles were created by God to be fuel for the fires of hell.  It was not even lawful to help a Gentile mother giving birth. . . . to bring another Gentile in the world. . . . the barrier between them was absolute.  If a Jewish boy married a Gentile girl, the funeral of that Jewish boy was carried out."

Jesus tells two familiar OT stories.  He interprets these stories essentially saying God's grace is equally available to Gentiles, or God loves the Gentiles as well as the Jews.  When the Nazareth Jews heard this interpretation, which was pro Gentile, they were so enraged that they tried to kill Jesus on the spot.

So early on in his ministry, Jesus puts two social evils, oppression and ethnocentrism, front and center.  These social evils must be addressed as a part of the kingdom of God here on earth.

My understanding of modern American society is that we as well are plagued with soceconomic oppression and ethnocentrism.  Most American whites put down Native Americans, black Americans, Mexicans, Asians; anyone who is non-white, so we desperately need the message of Luke 4 today just as the Nazareth Jews needed it back in their day.

The following quotation comes from the Contemporary English Version:

"Leviticus is often viewed as a book full of obscure rules and ritual, yet it contains one of the most astonishing pieces of social legislation in history: the Sabbath years and the Jubilee. Every seven years, the land had a sabbath, allowing it to recover. During this year slaves were to be freed (Exodus 21:2) and debts were to be cancelled (Deuteronomy 15:1-11). [Noble: Debt economics and slavery can quickly become systems of oppression; Sabbath/Jubilee laws prevented lifelong, even generational, systems of oppression from taking hold.] And every fiftieth year there was to be a Jubilee, . . . where the entire social structure of Israel was to be reset. Every Israelite became once again, a free citizen."

"Everyone could wipe the slate clean and start again, and significantly, the Jubilee year began on the Day of Atonement [forgiveness] (Lev. 25:9)---the day of national repentance and reconciliation. So fresh starts spiritually and physically [socially]---a whole life view. . . . The Jubilee idea survives. Today it is being applied to global debt. The Jubilee Campaign recognizes that there are countries who have fallen so far into debt that only drastic action can get them out."

Commentary from NIV Faith in Action Study Bible: Luke 4:14-30:

"Luke placed Jesus' sermon in his hometown of Nazareth as the inaugural message for his ministry.  Jesus' choice of Isaiah as his subject caused a stir.  All Israel believed this passage not only to be the text that would announce the Messiah's coming, but also the one that instituted the Year of the Jubilee ("the year of the Lord's favor"). When the Messiah came, everyone was to get a new beginning--the poor, the oppressed, the blind, and the indebted.  When Jesus cited outsiders as recipients of God's blessing, he provoked rage.  His ministry began with people trying to kill him!"

From Insurgence, Reclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom pages 271-280:
Excellent on the deceitfulness of riches.


From Insurgence, Reclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom pages 336 - 337:
"The world of the first century was littered with racism and oppression.  In the mind of a first-century Jew, Gentiles (Africans, Romans, Greeks, Syrians, Asians, etc) were created to fuel the fires of hell."

"When a Jew called a Gentile "uncircumcised," he spit it.  It was a name of profound contempt."

"In all of human history, there has never been so much animosity, hatred, and violence between two groups of people as there has been between the Jew and Gentile.  But alas, in the first century, there emerged a group of radicals on the planet who transcended this entrenched  racial (ethnic) hostility."

"Here was a group of people who saw themselves as members of the same family. . . a people made up of Jews, Gentiles, slaves, free, rich, poor, male, and female."

"These were the early followers of Jesus.  The Roman world stood in awe as they saw a people who hated each other begin to love one another and do life together in the name of Jesus."

"Watch them walking into the marketplace together, arm in arm, singing with joy in their hearts."

Jew and Gentile.
Slave and free.
Rich and poor.
Male and female.

"Look at them closely.  Jew and Gentile eating together, working together, greeting one another with a holy kiss, raising their children together, taking care of one another, marrying one another, and burying one another."

"This fact blew the circuitry of every person living in Century One.  It shook the Roman Empire to its very foundations."

"For the first two hundred years, the Christians only addressed each other by their first names.  The reason?"

"Because their last names indicated their social position in society."

"Here was a classless, raceless society where all social distinctions were erased."

"To their minds, Jew and Gentile, slave and free, rich and poor no longer existed.  The early believers saw themselves as part of the same family.  They were a new race . . . a colony from another realm, not of or from this earth.  Yet for this earth."