By Fr. Chris Baker, mssc

Village Carpenter to Prophet

One Sabbath day in the synagogue ofNazareth a village carpenter was invited to read out a passage from the book of Isaiah. He may have been poor, but he was literate. When he sat down and began to explain the prophet’s word to them, that close-knit community was astonished to hear one of the world’s greatest revelations. In this country town, where his mother Mary had conceived and reared him, he now announced that he was anointed by the Spirit of God as a prophet. He fulfilled the description which they had just heard. Yes! He was the one sent to bring good news to the poor, to set free the captives and the crushed, to restore sight to the blind. In short, he was sent by God to “proclaim a year of favour from the Lord.” A Jubilee Year.

What Jubilee means

Why do we talk such a “year of favour” or “year of release” as a Jubilee year? Because that is the name given to it where the basic laws about release in the 50th year are presented in the Book of Leviticus, chapter 25. Each seventh year was to be a sabbatical year, a year of rest for the land for normal cultivation and a year in which Hebrew slaves were to be set free.  After seven times seven years there was a very special kind of sabbatical year, which was announced by the blowing of a ram’s horn, in Hebrew a yobel. For short, the Jubilee year was referred to simply as the year of the yobel. Through Latin the word “jubilee” has come into our English language. Appropriately we now refer to many celebrations of important anniversaries as Golden or Silver Jubilees.

Forgiving ruinous debts in the Jubilee Year

What was so special to the Jubilee year of Leviticus was the wonderful liberation of Israelites who had been forced to surrender their animals, their fields, their houses and finally their entire farming family into slavery. The debts that led them into such a desperate situation were to be completely cancelled out. On top of that, they were able to return to their own homes and fields, to begin again a free and dignified family life, working together on their own cherished farm. Obviously these laws were intended to prevent the most successful rich people from gradually accumulating practically all of the farms and homes of their less fortunate neighbours. “So you will not exploit your neigbour...” (Lev 25:17).

Setting free the bonded workers

There was an ancient custom which obliged the nearest male relative to help out an Israelite sold into slavery. The “redeeming" relative would pay the price necessary as soon as he could. Because farming was subject to so many forces that could ruin a farmer, the Jubilee Year provided a rare relief for any farming family still down and out despite such help from relatives. Their own family farm gave all the household standing and participation within the community of God’s people.

By choosing to announce, with full authority from God, that his own prophetic mission should be regarded as the arrival of a Jubilee Year, Jesus has become the brother, the nearest relative/ “kinsman” of all members of the human family especially those in need for release of burdens.

What Jubilee demands of us today

Jesus uses the Old Testament Jubilee to illustrate His mission – a mission to free the groaning world from all burdens and especially from sin, the ultimate source of these burdens. So also we as disciples of Jesus should work to end the terrible burden of Third World debt and to free our brothers and sisters from all types of oppression especially in this Great Jubilee Year.