18/11/2025
When Jesus was beginning his public ministry, he explained his focus: “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD” (Luke 4:18-19 NKJV).
Jesus wants you to focus on the same things he did. So let’s look at the five types of people Jesus came to help—the same people he wants you to help too:
The poor. There are different types of poverty. There’s material poverty, where you don’t have the money to provide for your basic needs. There’s moral poverty, where you don’t know the difference between right and wrong—or you don’t care. And there’s spiritual poverty, where you don’t know that Jesus died for your sins and wants to spend eternity with you in heaven.
The brokenhearted. Hearts break for all kinds of reasons—including disappointment, rejection, and resentment. But the Bible promises, “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted” (NIV).
The imprisoned. Jesus told his followers to reach out to people in literal, physical prisons. But he also came for people in all kinds of other prisons—prisons of addiction, secrets, ignorance, and fear.
The blind. Millions of people are physically blind—which can be a major challenge in some cultures. But Jesus also cares about things like relational and spiritual blindness. In relational blindness, people don’t know how to live well with each other. With spiritual blindness, people close their eyes to the goodness of God in their lives and their need for a Savior.
The oppressed. Our world is full of people who are kicked around, taken advantage of, and put down. Countless people are affected by things like war, abuse and neglect, and even spiritual oppression.
The poor, brokenhearted, imprisoned, blind, and oppressed. These are the kinds of people Jesus cared for—and they’re who he wants you to care for too. He said in John 13:15, “I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you” (NLT).
Get hope and share hope—share this with a friend today.
