FEATURE
A Year of Wow, what a year! Who would have thought? Who would have guessed? A global pandemic that has disrupted and impacted the world like never before in history. As a matter of fact, we are still being impacted by COVID-19.
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sometimes wonder, ‘Will life ever be the same? Will the church ever be the same? Will there ever be a sense of normalcy? What exactly will normal look like?’ Although it has been with us for several months now, it would seem as if the world has changed overnight. While there are troubling questions that are constantly looming on the horizon, with seemingly no concrete answers in sight, a series of questions is on the forefront of my mind: Is COVID-19 a year of rest? A year of renewal? A year of rejuvenation? A year of rehabilitation? A year of restoration? A year of reconsecration? A year of revival? Perhaps a year of reset? Maybe, from a biblical perspective, a type of jubilee? Have you ever heard of the word “jubilee”? I remember coming across the word in
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Alberta Adventist News
my undergraduate years at CUC. At first, I didn’t know the exact meaning, but I figured it had something to do with feelings of joy and celebration. What Is the Year of Jubilee? In the Leviticus 25:1–13, there was something called “the year of jubilee”; it happened every 50th year. The word “jubilee” comes from the Hebrew word yobel, which means “trumpet.” The trumpet would be blown to signal what is called “the year of the Lord.” This was a specific time in biblical history that impacted the Israelite nation. Ultimately, this was a time of forgiveness. People would be released from debts, slaves were freed from their owners, property was returned, there was no planting or harvesting, people were to return to their families and loved ones, and the year was dedicated to the Lord.
DECEMBER 2020
Jesus and Jubilee When Jesus began his ministry, the Bible says in Luke 4:16–19 that He entered the temple, stood up, and read Scripture. Jesus shared his mission statement, saying at the end, “to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.” He was quoting from Isaiah 61:1–2. Interestingly, Jesus starts His ministry by proclaiming “jubilee” for the people to whom He was about to minister. His ministry was all about freedom and liberty. In fact, Jesus was preaching liberation theology, liberating those in bondage physically, mentally, and spiritually. Is Jubilee Possible in Modern Society? Of course, this would not be like the exact, literal jubilee, the year of celebration. However, there is still a meaningful and practical application that
