moved in this direction , too , in his words and concrete actions , showing a special care and concern for the handicapped , for children , for the sick , and for the homeless .
Gospel of Luke — The Friends of Jesus
From the very beginning of his life in his immediate family , Jesus is associated with the simple folk , rather than the powerful and wealthy . Mary , his mother , is a very young woman from the small town of Nazareth , and Joseph , her spouse , is a common laborer , a carpenter or craftsman . Mary , in her Magnificat , speaks of how God favors and lifts up the poor , the lowly .
In Luke ’ s account of the birth ( 2 : 6-8 ), Jesus is born in a stable , because there was no place for them in the inn . He is visited not by wise men from the East but by shepherds from the nearby fields . When Jesus is presented in the temple , his family offers the gifts of the poor ( 2:24 ). There they encounter not the leaders of the temple , but Simeon , a righteous and devout man , and Anna , a prophetess of great age .
Except for the story of the finding of Jesus in the temple , we hear nothing more until his public ministry begins . And that is where we will now focus as we try to show the extraordinary people with whom Jesus associates himself .
Inaugural Address
We begin with his so-called “ inaugural address ” in his home town of Nazareth . We will then show how throughout his public ministry Jesus kept true to what he has promised and committed himself to in his inaugural speech .
We read in Luke 4 : 16-21 : “ When he came to Nazareth , where he had been brought up , he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day , as was his custom . He stood up to read , and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him . He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written : ‘ The Spirit of the Lord is upon me , because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor . He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind , to let the oppressed go free , to proclaim the year of the Lord ’ s favor .’”
Throughout his public life and ministry , Jesus was true to his words . He was drawn , attracted , to the poor and oppressed , the blind and the weak , those at the margins of society .
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