“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Luke 4:18-19
Dear Jesus, Your coming in the flesh has ushered in a whole new freedom, a whole new joy, a whole new seeing for me. In you is life and light for all people. I didn’t know how blind and dim my mind was to the ways of God until your Spirit came on me and gave me understanding. I didn’t know how oppressed and imprisoned by sin and guilt I was until you came and washed my guilt away by your blood. Now, dear Jesus, I long for the full, the free, and the true life that you came to bring. Your Word helps me imagine this life of you where young men run without getting tired and where old men walk without growing weary. Your Word helps me imagine this full and free life where there is perfect understanding and acceptance of everything that you have said. I long for this, dear Jesus, because I know that I’m not living that life yet. I am still carrying the baggage of my past, of sin, and of guilt on my shoulders even though I know and believe it has been forgiven. It still weighs me down. I am still carrying a pressure to perform and measure up even though I know and believe that in you I am completely pleasing in your sight. Continue to come to me, dear Jesus, and send your Holy Spirit too! Send him and open the eyes of my heart so that I may know the riches of my inheritance among the saints. Open the eyes of my heart so that I may know the hope to which you have called me. Open the eyes of my heart so that I may know and experience the power of your resurrection in my life. Come, dear Jesus, and set me free so that I might live to the full for you now and for all eternity. Amen.
We can imagine the full and free life now. Jesus truly sets us free for it. Later, we will fully experience and live the full and free life. Jesus came to bring us to it.