Who is captive?

Jesus is quoting Isaiah when he says that he has been sent to proclaim release to the captives. Isaiah appears to repeat the phrase quoted as ‘proclaim liberty to captives’ and ‘freedom to prisoners’. One stresses the person, the other the place.

The person is not at liberty, enslaved, controlled, oppressed, and therefore unable to fulfil their potential.

The place is a prison, a barrier, creating a separation from society, the community, family and friends.

Isaiah is making these comments in the context of the nation and how they express their humanity. He expresses this in terms of justice. The application of God’s justice is to have the opposite effect of the law being exercised at the time that results in imprisonment.

He also illustrates this in terms of light and darkness. The prison is a place without windows, with no view of the land that people are meant to experience and enjoy.

Isaiah explains that this release is to be achieved by redemption, the actions of a redeemer brought about through Jubilee, the ‘favourable time’, the favourable year of Isaiah chapter 61. This is so complete that he sees captivity being captured, redemption means as free as someone can possibly become, removal of anything that can oppress, able to fully achieve everything they could possibly accomplish, whilst this has the effect of fully releasing others similarly to become who they should be.

The imprisonment begins as a consequence of sin, a decision of independence, seemingly a decision of freedom to choose a way of life unintended by the creator. Humanity expressed in Adam therefore chooses and becomes trapped in a world separated from life as originally intended. Humanity however finds itself under a different master, oppressed, controlled by sin. Cain is the example, unable to master sin, his envy results in the murder of his brother Abel, destruction instead of celebration of life, and a life of wandering restlessly in a hostile world.

Israel, the people who are to be God’s son, commissioned to demonstrate life as a nation, are found enslaved as captives in a foreign environment. Exodus is the story of their redemption. As a foundation block for their new society, God sets down a framework that has redemption at its core. Jubilee releases people from slavery, to enjoying the land, family and community life.

Sadly the people decided not to express Jubilee and redemption, preferring to enslave and oppress. This ultimately resulted in their own return to slavery and removal to a foreign land.   

In Luke we find Jesus speaking to the people as captives. He comes to bring a new Jubilee, as a redeemer to bring release from sin, its mastery and effect. This includes forgiveness, an active word that provides momentum to effect the release, a movement from one place to another. Jesus demonstrates this new place, the kingdom, new humanity in him where sin is no longer a master.

Paul writes about this in his letters to the Ephesians and Colossians. Through redemption, the forgiveness of sins we become citizens, part of a family, community, new society. Paul preaches this from a place of imprisonment, excluded from his own society, but looks towards a new society where captivity is made captive and each person, individually and corporately with others will achieve their full potential. 

In his letter to the Galatians he explains that living in freedom from sin and law, that would wish to return us to slavery, is to live by the Holy Spirit. This results in being fruitful in our humanity.

The book of Revelation gives contrasting illustrations of life as God intends and the ultimate capture and destruction of anything that would prevent this.