The truth will set you free. (John 8:32)
Shin Dong-hyuk was a prisoner in a North Korean
prison camp for twenty-three years before he escaped. But for most of
that time, he thought that his life was normal. You see, he was born
there. “I just thought that those people who carry guns were born to
carry guns,” he said. It took him so long to entertain the thought of
escaping because he thought that everyone lived in a camp like his.
During his incarceration, if you had asked him the meaning of the word
“freedom,” he wouldn’t have known how to answer.
You can hear similarities to Shin’s story in what some Jewish leaders
say to Jesus in today’s Gospel: “We are descendants of Abraham and have
never been enslaved to anyone” (John 8:33). Jesus is trying to tell
them that they really are slaves—to sin. But they can’t understand what
he means. They are observing the Law to the best of their ability; what
could possibly be wrong with that? Nothing at all. But Jesus wanted to
give them something more.
Jesus wanted his listeners to remain free to obey the Law, but he
also wanted them to know the freedom of the Holy Spirit. He wanted them
to be free to hear the Spirit speak words of wisdom, love, and guidance;
to be freed from self-centered concerns and anxieties; to be free to do
the very things that Jesus was doing. In other words, he wanted to give
them a freedom based on the power of God living and active in their
lives.
As Easter draws near, consider what freedom looks like for you. You
may find that, like Shin Dong-hyuk, you have been imprisoned for quite a
while without even knowing it. God wants to give you the freedom to
become the person you want to be—more patient, more considerate, and
more open to the Holy Spirit. He wants to set you free from
long-standing resentments and hurts. And he does this so that you can go
out and build the kingdom of God with confidence and grace.
Let these truths settle deep into your heart. Then step into the freedom God has prepared for you this Lent.
“Lord, send me your light and your grace—the light to see where I need to change and the grace to make those changes.”
from wau.org
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