Neotestamentica

Abstract:

The Gospel of Luke is well known for showing interest in the "down-and-outers" of society. In first-century Palestine, these "down and outers" were mostly a marginalised group of people robbed of their honour in society. With this Lukan feature in mind, the current article examines Luke 4:16–19, which is popularly called "a Jesus manifesto," and relates it to the problem of ethnic minorities in Nigeria. The article adopts social-scientific criticism as a methodology, using sociological conflict theory to explain not only the prevalent nature of oppression in Palestine during the time of Jesus, but also the roots of the agitations of ethnic minorities in Nigeria today. This study contends that Luke 4:16–19 is "liberational" and that it shows Jesus's quest, through the empowerment of the Spirit of God, to restore honour to the marginalised people of his society living in an oppressive environment. These marginalised people included the poor, the blind, prisoners/captives, debtors, slaves, and so on. This understanding of Luke 4:16–19, therefore, has hermeneutical implications for the problem of ethnic minorities in Nigeria. It calls on those with political power in Nigeria to address the concerns and aspirations of ethnic minorities by giving them more representation, so that they may be politically and economically empowered. For Christians in Nigeria, the text calls for both intensified socio-political activism in defence of equity, equality and justice for the minority ethnic groups in the country, and an acknowledgement of the reality of the struggles of Nigerian minorities.