Bondage
John 8:31-36
What are you a slave to?
Photo by Logan Voss on Unsplash
Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, ‘You will be made free’?” Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. - John 8:31-36
Jesus reminds us that we become slaves to sin when we choose to sin.
Slavery may seem too harsh a term for our submission to temptations. Slaves don’t have a choice, but we do.
Sure, there are those who believe abhorrent behavior can be explained away as a product of one’s early development, living in poverty, being abused, that sort of thing, but it always comes down to a choice, doesn’t it?
We choose to give in to temptations, and they become our bondage.
If you believe that some people can’t help it, that they have no choice but to live a life of crime or to become abusive, then you might agree with Jesus. That person is a slave.
The black and white of it is that slaves have no choice, and free persons do have a choice.
The outcome may be the same. Both may wind up in a poor state of existence, but the process, the means of getting there, can be different.
We tend to absolve people of the guilt of falling into sin. We don’t even call it sin anymore. Drug addiction, alcohol abuse, gambling, temper tantrums, and spousal abuse are all symptoms of some deep, hidden trauma.
They can’t help themselves. They are slaves to that behavior.
What has proven to be true, though, is that our methods of providing help for these people, and our ability to change the trajectory of their lives from negative to positive, are not working.
That doesn’t mean people can’t be helped. There are excellent treatment programs. They just don’t provide a lasting effect.
Jesus offers an escape from the clutches of this demon, and yet, coming to Jesus for help is not viewed as effective either.
So, what is someone to do?
The path to self-destruction is not one taken alone. An entire family is dragged along when we choose to descend. For the person affected, it doesn’t feel like a choice at all, and that makes healing difficult.
So, Jesus calls it slavery, a bondage that can’t be broken by the one enslaved, nor can it be broken by others.
We feel guilty that we didn’t do enough for the one we love who descends into the abyss. And we live with that guilt, creating our own bondage.
More to come...