We have a hard time living in the freedom God has given us, because His freedom is so radically unlike anything we’ve ever known. Christ himself was homeless (Matthew 8:20) and physically not attractive in his human form (Isaiah 53:2). How could He be our example of freedom?
We don’t like to think about the fact that he had a few close buddies but even most of his disciples were unable to understand what he was saying, let alone connect with him on a deep level. They bickered and asked questions like petulant children: who do you like best, Jesus?
He was a bit of a loner, and he did not glory in the attention he received for performing miracles. When he healed people, he told them to keep it hush hush.
Christ came not to bring down Rome and its oppression, and this was counter to everything the Jews were hoping for in a redeemer. Frankly, it was disappointing. He knew he was disappointing the majority.
Jesus noticed blind men yelling on the side of the road. He touched people with diseases. He played with little children instead of ignoring them. He was kind to women and Samaritans. He made detours often, because he cared about humans that were suffering. He visited Zacchaeus’s house, a true oddball, very short and very hated.
Many people didn’t want to hear those beautiful Beattitudes–blessed are the poor, blessed are the meek. It didn’t carry the thunder, the burning, scathing revenge they wanted for their earthly enemies.
Aren’t we the same? We let the huge problems of the world scream into our ears via news programs and we begin to think it’s our Christian duty to get riled up and open our mouths. Yes, politicians are good scapegoats, with their wide mouths and boastful Twitter accounts. But have we forgotten how we each have our own tongue? We each have a rudder in our mouth, capable of steering the ship or sinking the boat. The prophet Isaiah was facedown repentant when he saw the Lord–”I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips!”
On the whole we are proud people, unaware of our two-facedness.
We actually think we are (for the most part) pretty fair and upright, so we remain unaffected by Jesus.
We are being deceived.
No, freedom in Jesus is not equal to freedom of speech. It isn’t the same as our right to smoke pot or march in the local gay rights parade. It isn’t freedom to wear whatever we want or to post well-posed photos of our stylish home on social media.
Real freedom is tearing off things that prevent us from drawing near to God who is holy, just, fair, loving.
It is accessible to every human being, not just the average American. We are all capable of bending our souls in repentance and humility. That’s where the freedom is, in letting go of our pride, our ego, our words. In Christ we have the freedom to close our mouths, drop the self-made image of success, and pursue love in action.
It begins with emptying myself so he can fill me back up with his goodness. This supernatural gift allows me to notice and be drawn to the disadvantaged, sick, elderly, the oddballs, the strangers.
We pursue social justice and equality by serving the one or two people God puts in our field of vision each day. We don’t justify ourselves by pitching a fit–the world is falling to pieces! Nor do we do it by wearing trendy clothes and passing it off as our spiritual talent offering to the Lord. We don’t market a form of godliness–throwing out Bible verse nuggets–but deny its power to flip our lives inside out (2 Timothy 3:5).
There is a serious business to living in freedom, and it is brick-and-mortar, feet-to-the-ground, outward-facing, people-oriented.
You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Galatians 5:13-14
This is what blew Paul away, this freedom. He changed from a know-it-all Jew to a notice-it-all believer. From a persecutor to participant in the Gospel.
He counted it as Life.
For me, to live is Christ…
Phil. 1:21
