DAILY DEVOT IONAL 33
YoungHak Lee
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 set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. - Luke 4:18-19 (NRSVue)
Healing begins with truth. It starts when we have the courage to name what is broken—within us, around us, and in the systems that shape our world. Without truth, healing remains shallow, like a wound covered too quickly without proper treatment. Real healing happens when we’re honest—when we bring our pain, failures, and struggles into the light and embrace God’s grace that meets us there.
Jesus understood this. In Luke 4:18-19, Jesus declares his mission: to bring good news to the poor, proclaim release to the captives, and set free those who are oppressed. Jesus didn’t avoid the painful truth of suffering. Instead, Jesus stepped into those broken places to sit with the oppressed and speak words that exposed both personal and societal wounds. Jesus called out hypocrisy, confronted injustice, and eagerly urged people to see themselves and the world through God’s eyes.
Following Christ means embodying Jesus’s mission of truth-telling and healing. We must open our eyes to see the suffering around us and ask, “Who among us is still captive? Who is still oppressed? Where is God calling us to bring good news?”
If we’re willing to look honestly at the world around us, we’ll see places of deep pain and injustice. We’ll see people weighed down by poverty, discrimination, loneliness, and fear. We’ll see communities fractured by division and mistrust. We’ll see wounds that have been ignored for too long. And if we truly believe in the mission of Jesus, we cannot turn away.
But here’s the good news: healing is possible. Transformation is possible. In Christ, we are not defined by our wounds or our failures. God’s grace meets us where we are and leads us toward renewal. When we step into the work of healing, we don’t do it alone. Jesus walks with us, just as he walked with the hurting, the outcast, and the oppressed.
So, what truths need to be named in your own life? Where do you see suffering in your community? Where is God calling you to step in with love, truth, and grace?
May we have the courage to seek healing, the humility to acknowledge what is broken, and the faith to trust that God is already at work, restoring what has been lost and making all things new. AMEN.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
1. What wounds—personal or communal—do you need to acknowledge today?
2. How does discomfort shape your faith and your journey toward healing?
3. Where do you see God inviting you to participate in the restoration of others?
4. What fears keep you from confronting painful truths? How can you surrender those fears to God?
CLOSING PRAYER
Loving and merciful God, give us the courage to face the truth of our wounds and the grace to seek healing. Help us to hold discomfort, not with fear, but with faith, trusting in Your promise of restoration. Open our eyes to the pain around us and within us, and guide us toward Your healing presence. Walk with us as we journey from lamentation to praise, knowing that You are always working to bring renewal and hope. In the name of Jesus who brings good news to the poor, we pray. AMEN.
SONGS, HYMNS, OR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
UMH 57. O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing
UMH 375. There is a Balm
UMH 593. Here I Am Lord
TFWS 2241. The Spirit Sends Us Forth to Serve