The Nazareth Manifesto: A Lesson from Max Lucado

Due to some very important projects and appointments over the last couple weeks, I haven’t been able to get much reading (or writing) in. So I woke up early this morning to finish Outlive Your Life by Max Lucado, a gift he gave us when he did our company-wide devotional.

During the chapter Stand Up for the Have-Nots, Max is commenting on Jesus’ selection of Isaiah (found in Luke 4:17–19) when he speaks at the synagogue:

Jesus had a target audience: the poor, the brokenhearted, captives, the blind and the oppressed. His to-do list? The Nazareth Manifesto…

• Preach the gospel to the poor.
• Heal the brokenhearted.
• Proclaim liberty to the captives.
• Proclaim recovery of sight to the blind.
• Set at liberty those who are oppressed.
• Proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord (referencing the year of Jubilee).

Man, I am fired I am after reading this, because I’m realizing the 13 weeks of Financial Peace University (FPU) covers all six of these items! I love the timing of this humbling and energizing discovery… halfway through my current FPU class and the weekend before the Catalyst Conference.

If you’ve never led or attended a class, I understand you may find this tough to agree with—which is why you should at least take a low-commitment step of reading some testimonies about FPU on our Facebook page.

But if you are looking for a powerful and practical way to participate in the Nazareth Manifesto, then I am challenging you to consider getting involved. To attend FPU, simply find a class in your area. Did you know the average family pays off $5,300 in debt and puts $2,700 in the bank just during the 13 weeks? (Not to mention you get to change your family tree in the process). If you’re interested in leading, you must be able to put chairs in a circle, push play on a DVD player, and love people—if you find yourself qualified, then you are ready to host a class.

Remember… no one can do everything, but everyone can do something. What about you? What are you doing that fits within the Nazareth Manifesto? I’d love to hear about it!!