The Jubilee
Isaiah 61:1-3
“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,[a] 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3 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.”
Did you know that the year of Jubilee has begun? It was proclaimed to be from Christmas 2024 through Epiphany 2026! I am enjoying all that I have learned while doing research for an upcoming ladies’ retreat. While I knew the Biblical origins of the Jubilee, I had not ever noticed the excitement in so many people surrounding this event. Honestly, I did not know there was an event. Furthermore, I did not know all the buzz surrounding Europe during this time, namely Italy.
This last weekend I attended a wedding fair. So many couples were wanting to go to Italy for their honeymoon. That did not surprise me at all. Who doesn’t want to go to Italy? Their reasons were not what I expected. They wanted to go to the Jubilee for their honeymoon.
In my mind, I was picturing such a beautiful beginning to a union. To begin a marriage with forgiveness and freedom would indeed make for a glorious union. Since I was not raised in a Catholic home or even in a Christian home, this presented another opportunity for me to dig deeply into the Jubilee celebration.
The romantic imagery quickly disappeared when I thought about how many people and vendors would be upon your every step. I don’t like crowds myself. But I shifted my thoughts to the hearts, not the physical bodies that would be on every step. Each heart striving to feel the freedom to love and be loved. Each heart earnestly seeking forgiveness of debts and sins. Tired hearts seeking true rest. I also wondered how the pomp and circumstance would feel to our Lord. He is a table flipping Savior after all. Thankfully He looks into our hearts and minds and really sees us.
This pilgrimage TO the Jubilee is filled with people seeking forgiveness of sins and debts, to see the opening of the Holy door, celebrations, and ultimately a journey towards mercy. Many celebrations, spiritual activities, and cultural experiences are put together to attract and welcome people from all over the world. It is truly mind blowing to think about how many people will pour into the Vatican City seeking this glorious experience.
Wouldn’t most of us go to great lengths for something like that? We especially go the distance for a life changing experience ending in freedom, forgiveness, and rest. When we truly recognize the depth of our transgressions and sins, we want to make it right. We deeply desire to be set free. We are tired and in dire need of rest. When things are restored and wiped clean, you can finally rest. Like a taking a breath in your home after Spring cleaning.
Now I want to go to Italy! However, when I read Luke 4:18 where Jesus was quoting Isaiah 61:1-3, my perspective shifted. What stood out quite poignantly to me was what Jesus did after He was finished reading. HE SAT DOWN. I did not know why that hit me so deeply at first, but then I pondered it further. The scripture tells us that everyone was staring, but He took a moment to rest and simply sat down. Considering how Jesus taught, even that small gesture was illustrative. He “rested” then proclaimed that “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
We can search high and low and travel miles upon miles, do grandiose acts, but our true Jubilee is Jesus. HE is our REST. HE is our forgiver of sins. HE is the ONE who sets us free. We get access to the Jubilee upon hearing Him quote Isaiah and then proclaiming in Luke 4:21, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
Jesus is THE Jubilee! Today and everyday, HE IS OUR JUBILEE!
In His Name, Rachele