JJ25 #27 – Service: The Good News

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,

for the Lord has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted

and to proclaim that captives will be released

and prisoners will be freed.

He has sent me to tell those who mourn

that the time of the Lord’s favour has come,  (Isaiah 61:1-2 NLT)

To preach good news to the poor is not mere sentimentality; it is the practical demonstration of the Kingdom’s radical inclusivity. Jesus deliberately sought out those whom society had disregarded—the materially poor, the spiritually bankrupt, the marginalised and oppressed. The Beatitudes ring out: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” (Luke 6:20, ESV) Here, Christ does not glorify poverty for its own sake, but reveals that the gospel reaches deepest where the need is greatest (see Matthew 5:3-6, ESV).

His life embodied this truth. When confronted by desperate crowds—those hungry, sick, and cast aside—He responded not with platitudes, but concrete acts of love: “And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages…healing every disease and every affliction” (Matthew 9:35, ESV). Zacchaeus, once reviled, found welcome and restoration; Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, received both mercy and sight (Luke 18:35-43, ESV). Jesus’ care transcended social boundaries, revealing that God’s favour is not reserved for the privileged, but lavished upon all who humbly receive.

This mandate extrapolates into the very structure of the early church. The believers in Jerusalem “were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need” (Acts 2:45, ESV). The ministry of deacons emerged to meet the needs of widows (Acts 6:1-6, ESV). In every generation since, the authentic church has understood that neglecting the poor is to distort the heart of the gospel. John reminds us: “If anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?” (1 John 3:17, ESV).

Throughout history, Christians have been called to practical holiness—bishops welcoming the destitute, monastics sharing their food and shelter, reformers advocating for systemic justice. St Francis of Assisi, for example, modelled this radical embrace by forsaking wealth and living among the impoverished. The witness persists in every faithful generation: the service of preaching good news to the poor is the litmus test of genuine discipleship.

This ministry is therefore not secondary nor optional—it is at the very centre of Christ’s calling. To preach good news to the poor is to stand in the footsteps of our Servant King, to imitate His generosity, His humility, and His compassion. It is to ensure that the Church, enlivened by the Spirit, continues to offer hope where the world sees only despair.

In light of Jesus’ priority in declaring the good news to the poor, the challenge for those who follow Jesus is to see how that priority is reflected in our actions. How do we notice the poor? How do we reach them? How do we follow the leading of the Spirit to have compassion for the poor, enabling us to share with them what the good news is and why it’s particularly good news for them?

For His Name’s Sake

C. L. J. Dryden

Shalom