Unchained

Can you imagine if Jesus told people they were slaves today? 

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

People would not react the way they did in his day. They would be furious with him.

How dare you think that anyone today is as bad off as a slave?

Of course, they would be missing the point. But because we are supposed to be sensitive to the feelings of others who descended from slaves, we cannot see ourselves as slaves to anything.

It is just not the same, right?

What this reading points out is the inability of some, if not all, of us to make an association, to emphasize.

We can be slaves to sin. We can find ourselves in its grip and control and not know how to get out from under it.

So, if you didn't want to use the word "slave" what could you use? Is prisoner better? Paul used that.

We can say we are slaves to no one and still be chained to an addiction or desire.

That's what Jesus is saying. We don't realize what we are chained to. What we need to do is let go and follow Him.

If we try to straighten ourselves out first and then follow, we will probably fail. But if we start by following, the change will take place. Once we know we are loved, we become free.

More to come...