Luke 4:16 Now Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 4:17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and the regaining of sight to the blind,
to set free those who are oppressed,
4:19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Is Jesus referring primarily to economic, or to spiritual, poverty?

A number of interpreters emphasise the first of these, insisting that Jesus’ teaching promotes a ‘social transformation’ approach to mission.

Simon Ponsonby (God Inside Out) represents the view that, while our Lord’s teaching here by no means excludes the meeting of spiritual needs, there is also a this-worldly emphasis on the meeting of social needs:

‘We must avoid over-spiritualising these verses, reading them through an evangelical lens, making them only speak in eternal and spiritual terms of spiritual poverty, spiritual blindness, spiritual oppression and spiritual imprisonment, from which we are set free by the preaching of the spiritual gospel.  Certainly there is this spiritual evangelical tone here, but there is also a more down-to-earth, practical sense, seen when Jesus actually physically healed the blind, fed the hungry, and sent the poor and the outcast away rejoicing.’

While this is not entirely wide of the mark, it is to be noted that our Lord stresses proclamation.  As DeYoung and Gilbert (What Is the Mission of the Church? pp. 37-38) observe:

‘The Spirit of the Lord, resting upon Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah, would anoint him to proclaim good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. With the exception of “to set at liberty the oppressed”,…these are all words that point to speaking. While it’s certainly true that Jesus healed the sick and gave sight to the blind (as pointers to his deity, signs of the kingdom’s in-breaking, and expressions of his compassion), the messianic mission statement in Luke 4 highlights the announcement of good news. If Luke 4 sets the tone for the mission of the church, then the center of the church’s mission should be the preaching of the gospel.’

Regarding the meaning of ‘poor’ in this context, Stein maintains that

‘In Luke the term “poor” does refer to an economic condition, but not merely to economic status, for the poor and humble hope in God.’

Cf. Mt 11:5.

Referring to the various images in this quotation from Isaiah, The Gospel Transformation Bible notes:

‘These images are first physical in meaning but they have a spiritual application as well. There is no inherent virtue in being poor or oppressed or in bondage, but these experiences typically correspond to and foster a certain condition of heart and soul. When we recognize our brokenness and bondage and blindness, the gospel meets us fully and restores us. The gospel applies to our lives at the level of our whole person, not only our need for sin-forgiveness. We apply this full gospel to ourselves by looking to Jesus for restoration in every area of our lives, not just in the “spiritual” realm, recognizing that full restoration may await heavenly fulfillment.’

Johnson notes that

‘as in Mary’s canticle (Lk 1:52), the “poor” represent not only the economically impoverished but all those who are marginal or excluded from human fellowship, the outcast.’

Johnson adds that this theme is prominent in the first half of Luke’s Gospel (Lk 6:20; 7:22; 14:13, 21; 16:20, 22).

Garland explains:

‘The “poor” who are the recipients of this good news are “not only the economically impoverished but all those who are marginal or excluded from human fellowship, the outcast.” They are the losers in the competitive race for scarce resources, economic security, honor, and power. Their only recourse is to “look to God for help.” They include the disciples. Jesus’ Beatitudes begin with a blessing on the poor (Lk 6:20) that is specifically addressed to the disciples.

Bock (NIVAC), more fully:

‘It cannot be denied that “poor” here refers to those who live in a socially and economically limited environment. But according to the use of this term in the Old Testament and in Luke, that is not all that is intended here. The Old Testament background points to the anawim, the “pious poor,” the afflicted (2 Sam. 22:28; Pss. 14:6; 22:24; 25:16; 34:6; 40:17; 69:29; Amos 8:4; Isa. 3:14–15). These are the humble whom God will exalt (Luke 1:51–53) and who like the prophets suffer for being open to God (6:20–23; cf. the description in 1 Cor. 1:26–29; James 2:5). They are open to God and his way since they are frequently the first to recognize how much they need God.’

DeYoung and Gilbert also understand the reference to ‘the poor’ to carry this wider meaning.  In support, they state (among other things) that

1. In Isa 61:1f, from the quotation is taken, ‘the poor’ are not just the economically poor:

‘they are the humble poor, the mournful ones who trust in the Lord and wait for their promised “oil of gladness” and their “garment of praise” (Isa. 61: 3).’

2. Similarly, the Greek word ptochos can refer to both literal and figurative poverty:

‘Of the ten uses of ptōchos in Luke, seven should be taken as literal poverty (Lk 14: 13, 21; 16: 20, 22; 18: 22; 19: 8; 21: 3), while three may be figurative (4: 18; 6: 20; 7: 22). Elsewhere in the New Testament, Revelation 3: 17 is a clear instance where ptōchos should be taken figuratively. The church in Laodicea thought themselves rich (and they were, materially), but on a deeper spiritual level they were “wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.”’

3. If the reference to ‘the poor’ is to be taken literally, it follows that ‘the captives’, ‘the blind’ and ‘the oppressed’ should be taken literally, too.  But there is no instance in the Gospels of Jesus setting a literal prisoner free (cp. Lk 7:18-23).  But if we agree that spiritual bondage is meant, then we should also be able to agree that spiritual poverty is the primary meaning.  Of course, our Lord did heal those who were literally blind; but even these healings were intended to point to the condition of spiritual blindness and its remedy.

France comments:

‘Jesus’ hearers probably assumed that he was announcing some kind of political manifesto; a call to rid the nation of its Roman oppressors.  Proponents of ‘liberation theology’ often look to this text to support a similar view today.  Others think that our Lord was announcing some kind of social programme for the poor and hungry.  But although Jesus does care about such things, they are not his primary concern.  He did not come to start a political movement.  His ministry is not to the body, first and foremost, but to the soul.  He told his followers to store up treasure in heaven, rather than on earth.  ‘The best guide to how Luke understood [this prophecy] is his following record of Jesus’s actual ministry, where the focus falls on physical and spiritual deliverance of the sick and possessed, and on giving hope to the hopeless and a voice to the voiceless, rather than on a concrete attempt to reform the social or political system. But the values here expressed have provided an important incentive to radical Christian sociopolitical involvement in subsequent generations.’

Knox Chamblin thinks that spiritual poverty is primarily in view:

‘He has come to free the physically infirm, such as the blind (Lk 4:18) and the leprous (Lk 4:27; cf. Lk 7:21; 9:6). He helps the materially poor, like the widow in Elijah’s day (Lk 4:25–26; cf. 6:20–25, 30–38). Yet the spiritually poor are primarily in view—people broken and grieved by misery and poverty, oppression and injustice, suffering and death, national apostasy and personal sin, who in their extremity cry out to God to bring forth justice, bestow his mercy, and establish his kingdom (Matt. 5:3–10). Jesus has come to usher in the kingdom, to rescue the lost, to liberate the enslaved, to cure the afflicted, and to forgive the guilty (Mark 2:5, 10, 17; 10:45; Luke 7:48–49; 19:10).’

(J. Knox Chamblin, in EDBT, art. ‘Gospel’)

We should avoid polarisation, and affirm that both spiritual and social are meant.  Our Lord pronounced forgiveness of sins and showed compassion for the poor and the sick.  Note the wording of the Beatitudes, where in Luke Jesus pronounces a blessing on ‘you poor’, and in Matthew the blessing is for ‘the poor in spirit’.  In the present passage, the word translated ‘release’ is the one normally used in this Gospel for ‘forgiveness’.

Nolland (WBC) comments that the Jubilee imagery employed here indicates a holistic concept of salvation:

‘The salvation in view is represented with Jubilee imagery, but is no call for an implementation of Jubilee legislation. Jubilee release is not spiritualized into forgiveness of sins, but neither can it be resolved into a program of social reform. It encompasses spiritual restoration, moral transformation, rescue from demonic oppression, and release from illness and disability.’ (Nolland, WBC)

Although Jesus did not come primarily as a social reformer, we should not think that social reform is excluded from his message and ministry.  As Wright (Jesus and the Victory of God) says, he expected his followers to live out the Jubilee principle in their lives, forgiving debts as well as sins, and generously sharing their possession, Acts 4:34 w Deut 15:4.

Rebecca McLoughlin notes:

‘Jesus’s championing of the poor and oppressed has rung loud through the centuries. He claimed he had come “to proclaim good news to the poor” (Luke 4:18), and the first Christians took this very seriously. Goods were held in common. Those who owned land and houses sold them, and the money was distributed to those in need (Acts 4:32–35). By the fourth century, Christians had invented hospitals, established welfare systems, and cared for the needy. Indeed, fourth-century theologian John Chrysostom argued from Scripture that failing to give charitably amounted to robbing the poor, and as Christianity spread, so did concern for the least.’

(Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion)

Darren Sarisky interprets this text in the light of an inversion of status of those who would normally be considered acceptable to God, and the implications for holistic mission:

‘The term “poor” in contemporary English is an index of economic status, indicating a low position on a scale of annual household income or in relation to an established poverty line. This, however, is not exactly the sense it carries in Luke. Some background on the concept of status will help to make this clear. Leviticus 21:16–24 indicates that one’s membership in the community of priests depended on factors outside one’s control. First, being a priest meant being born into a priestly family. Second, numerous genetic “defects” would disqualify one from membership in the priestly community (examples include being blind or lame, having a hunchback or a broken foot, etc.). Religious communities from Luke’s time used similar membership criteria, which were recorded in similar lists. In Luke’s Gospel, things operate very differently. Again, there are lists of people considered “impure” or of low status, but Luke presents these as the very people who are to be included, not excluded. Most of the occurrences of the word “poor” in Luke are to be found in these lists (4:18; 6:20; 7:22; 14:13, 21; 16:20, 22 RSV). Jesus’ ministry of “preaching good news to the poor,” then, entails overturning previous measures of status. Anyone may freely receive the grace of God. The good news that Jesus preaches to these people is holistic. As one commentator puts it:

‘Luke holds together what the contemporary church has often partitioned into discordant elements: empowering the disadvantaged, seeking the lost, reconciling persons across social lines, calling people to repentance, healing the sick, forgiving sins, initiating people into the community of God’s people. All these and more are constitutive of salvation in the Third Gospel.’

Luke’s narrative teaches contemporary Christians two lessons. First, if Jesus focused his own ministry efforts on the alienated, the church today can do no less…The church should welcome all people, particularly the disenfranchised. Second, churches should approach ministry holistically. Conservative churches tend to think first of all about meeting an individual’s spiritual needs, while liberal congregations often major on structural solutions to tangible, physical problems. Luke envisions salvation as an encompassing reality that does not respect these false disjunctions. By God’s grace all of creation can be made new. No hurt is beyond the reach of God’s gracious, healing hand.’

(Everyday Theology: How to Read Cultural Texts and Interpret Trends)

Kenneth Bailey (Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes) helpfully takes the discussion back to the meaning of the Isaiah text:

‘When Isaiah speaks of good news for the poor what does he mean by “the poor”? Is the prophet primarily referring to those who do not have enough to eat, or is he addressing those who sense their spiritual hunger and seek God?

Fortunately, Isaiah provides a fairly straightforward answer. In Hebrew two words are being used; one of them is ʿānî (often translated “poor”) and the other is ʿanāw (usually translated “meek”). The two are virtually synonymous and often used interchangeably. The text in Isaiah 61:1 has ̄ʿānāwîm, which tends in the direction of “meek.” In Isaiah these two words appear fifteen times. Three of them lean in the direction of “the people with not enough to eat” and the other eleven are clearly oriented to “the humble and pious who seek God.” In Isaiah 66:2 the prophet writes:

But this is the man to whom I will look,
he that is poor [̄ʾānî ]
and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.

Isaiah 29:19 reads:

The meek [ʿānāwîm] shall obtain fresh joy in the LORD,
and the poor [ĕbyônê] among men shall exult in the Holy One of Israel.

‘This same definition of “the poor” resurfaces in the Qumran community, which used “the poor” as a means of self-identification. It understood itself to be the community of true believers who had the right to claim the promises of God for “the poor.” Some of the newly published fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls have been called “Hymns of the Poor” (4Q434; 436). Eisenman and Wise summarize these hymns by saying, “In the Hymns of the Poor, the Poor are ‘saved’ because of their ‘Piety’, and God’s ‘Mercy’, and because they ‘walked in the Way of His heart.’ ”

‘Early Jewish Christians called themselves the Ebionites (the poor). In Matthew Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (Mt 5:3). It is possible to read this text as a clarification of the shorter text in Luke 6:20, which reads, “blessed are you poor,” rather than a correction of it. In addition, Paul occasionally refers to the church in Jerusalem as “the poor” (Rom 15:26; Gal 2:10).

‘Finally, post-Christian Jewish texts describe the poor/meek in the same manner. The Mekilta of Rabbi Ishmael reads, “Scripture tells that whosoever is meek [ʿānāw] will cause the Shekinah to dwell with man on earth.” Here also “the poor” means the humble and pious who seek God. Six hundred years of use (before and after Jesus) confirm the word poor as meaning primarily “Those who tremble at the word of God” (Is 66:5).

‘To turn this word in Luke 4:16 into nothing more than politics and economics is to ignore history. Luke’s Gospel affirms that in Jesus, God “has visited and redeemed his people” (Lk 1:68). In every age the church has proclaimed that in Jesus there is hope, light and direction for those who earnestly seek to love God and their neighbors.’