Abstract
Jesus’ mission was not only a religious one but had social and political implications. From the birth to the death of Jesus, God’s message of liberation is proclaimed in and through Jesus. This work studied Jesus’ inaugural mission in Luke 4: 18 -19 in the context of Nigerian leaders. A theological interpretation was adopted and it was discovered that Luke 4: 18-19 unfolded Jesus’ mission statement. This mission statement centered on preaching the good news to the poor, releasing the captives, healing the sick, liberation to the oppressed, and favour and abundance in the land. Related to the Jewish-Roman world of Jesus and the Nigerian nation, it was discovered that most of the maladies enumerated in Jesus’ inaugural mission statement were prevalent in Nigerian society. Maladies like poverty, oppression, violence, sickness, and diseases are widespread in Nigeria. Poverty affects all irrespective of gender, religion, or ethnicity. There is insecurity everywhere. Unemployment bites harder on Nigeria’s youthful population, they are unable to find a job at the prevailing wage rate. To this effect, therefore, this study proposes Jesus’ liberative technique as a solution to these maladies prevalent in the country. The work challenges the Nigerian leaders to emulate Jesus’ mission statement and take proactive measures in fighting against these social challenges resident in Nigeria today.
Presenters
Mary Emilia AboekweSenior Lecturer, Department of Religion and Human Relations, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Anambra State, Nigeria., Anambra, Nigeria
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Religious Community and Socialization
KEYWORDS
LIBERATION, LEADERSHIP, THEOLOGY, MALADIES