I remember early Sunday mornings in the 1960s watching the musical program “Gospel Singing Jubilee.”
Today, a jubilee is a celebration or special anniversary.
The Biblical origins are more complicated.
The year of Jubilee is part of the Old Testament Holiness Code. This was a covenant between God and the Israelites on how they were to treat one another in the promised land. The Sabbath was a gift from God to the people.
The year of Jubilee was a Sabbath for the land and the nation. At the end of 49 years – (seven years times seven) – on the Day of Atonement, the ram’s horn was blown, signifying the year of Jubilee had begun.
Debts between God’s people (not foreigners) were to be forgiven. If you had sold yourself into slavery to pay for debts, you were to become free once again. If you had sold property because of need, it was to be returned to the family.
As radical as this looks, it was based on the concept that all belongs to God and God’s people are only stewards of the property. By setting people at liberty, forgiving debts and restoring ownership of land, it was a way to undo the effects of human sin and bring harmony to God’s people. It came down to forgiveness.
Jesus began his ministry at his hometown in Nazareth. During Sabbath worship, he opened the scroll and read from Isaiah 61:1-2. By the Spirit he proclaimed the “Year of the Lord’s favor.”
Was Jesus proclaiming a Jubilee year?
In response to a question about forgiveness, Jesus told a parable in Matthew 18 about a man who was deeply in debt. The master called in the debt, and was going to force the man, his family and all his belongings to be sold. The man fell on his knees and begged for more time. The master took pity on him and forgave his debt. With his debt forgiven, the man goes after a man who owed him money and did not show him any mercy.. When the servants reported this back to the master he called in the debt and showed no mercy to the man.
Jesus finished the parable by saying, ``So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
Forgiveness is never easy, whether you are forgiving yourself for a mistake – or forgiving another who harmed and hurt you deeply.
Still, for our sakes, Jesus asks us to forgive. It is in forgiveness we can find healing and offer healing to others.
In the letter of Colossians 2:13-14, Paul reminded all of the power of the cross, when by Jesus’ love and sacrifice our sins were forgiven.
“God made you alive together with him, when he forgave us all our trespasses, erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the cross.”
Let our prayers be the one Jesus taught us to pray, “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
Eric Reece is the faith columnist for The Graham Star. He is the pastor of Robbinsville United Methodist Church and can be reached via email, ereece@wnccumc.net.