Let the oppressed go free

In recent days, there has been much discussion regarding the long-time friend and pastor of a very high-profile political candidate and the pastor’s controversial statements that he and his defenders characterize as “liberation theology” or “the social gospel.”

The words of our Lord in the Gospel reading provided for today’s Mass of the Chrism (Luke 4:16-21) seem to exemplify a “social Gospel.”

He unrolled the scroll
and found the passage where it was written:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.

Without getting into the specific ideas of any particular theologian or preacher, there are two extremes in interpreting Scriptural passages such as this.

One extreme focuses on a purely social, economic, and/or political interpretation of such passages: focusing on physical poverty, lack of healthcare, and oppression.

The other extreme spiritualizes such passages entirely: focusing on spiritual poverty, the need for spiritual healing, and spiritual oppression.

The truth, as often happens, lies in the middle, or rather, embraces both sides.

To be sure, the spiritual dimensions of our faith are primary – freedom from earthly oppression is worse than useless without freedom from sin and spiritual oppression – but we dare not close ourselves off from the concrete application of our faith.

James 2:15-17 gives us the classic reminder of this latter point:

If a brother or sister is ill-clad
and in lack of daily food,
and one of you says to them,
"Go in peace, be warmed and filled,"
without giving them the things needed for the body,
what does it profit?
So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.

We need to keep both aspects in mind as we live our lives and strive to follow more perfectly in the footsteps of our Lord, repeating in our minds the verses from Isaiah our Lord reads in this morning’s Gospel – in both their practical and spiritual dimensions.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.

Since this Gospel is for the Mass of Chrism, this is especially important for priests.

No priest dare forget the practical applications of these verses in his preaching and in his actions.

But of course no priest dare forget the spiritual dimension of these verses: especially because of the very, very special ministry entrusted to them, for no glad tidings, no proclamation of liberty, no recovery, and no letting free is more powerful than when the priest says this:

"God, the Father of Mercies,
through the death and resurrection of his Son
has reconciled the world to Himself
and sent the Holy Spirit among us
for the forgiveness of sins;

through the ministry of the church
may God give you pardon and peace
and I absolve you from your sins... "

"Deus, Pater misericordiarum,
qui per mortem et resurrectionem Fílii sui
mundum sibi reconciliavit
et Spiritum Sanctum effudit
in remissionem peccatorum,

per ministerium Ecclesiae
indulgentiam
tibi tribuat
et pacem
et ego te absolvo a peccatis tuis... "

May all of us seek true liberation in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, body and soul.