Healing the Brokenhearted


Photo via Wiki Commons: All Saints, St. Peter's Missouri
“The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me… to bring glad tidings to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners…”  - Isaiah 61:1
Jesus quoted the above passage when He announced the beginning of His mission in the synagogue in His hometown of Nazareth. His audience, who knew that Isaiah spoke of the coming Messiah, expressed doubt when Jesus claimed to fulfill this prophecy, and then became furious when He spoke of their lack of faith. The whole episode ended badly, with His countrymen attempting to throw Jesus off a cliff. But Jesus slipped away from the midst of the crowd and went away (Lk 4:18-30). He would face death for His people, but His time had not yet come.
What a surprising reaction to this beautiful, hopeful, and loving prophecy! These people were not ready to believe that someone who seemed so human, so like them, could be the all-powerful, all loving God. If they could have only listened and believed, they would have been the first to receive the amazing blessings that God wanted to give them.
Jesus, the anointed one, the promised Messiah, desires to bring healing to His people. This is the message He brings. He doesn’t come to avenge the sins of the world, but to take the consequences of sin on His own shoulders. He comes to heal the brokenhearted, to free us from imprisonment. He knows our hearts, our woundedness, and our suffering. He knows that sin is the cause and He alone has the cure: salvation from sin. He wants to wrap us in the robe of salvation and enfold us in His own Sacred Heart. He has mercy on those who fear Him in every generation.
Let us be ready to receive the blessings that Jesus wants to bring us this Advent season. At Christmas, Jesus comes as a tiny child, innocent and vulnerable, and yet He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. He comes as one of us to bring us hope. Let your hearts rejoice, for the Lord is near! Gaudete!

 
 

 

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