Slavery


John 8:31-38
31So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” 34Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. 35The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. 38I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”

Today we pick up on Jesus’ continuing conversation with the Jews, both those who were beginning to embrace Him as Messiah and those who would have Him dead. He walks a tight rope here because the faith of those who “had believed in Him” is brand new and probably tentative. Opposed to these brand new believers is the voice of the Pharisees who have come to argue their self-proclaimed righteousness. Jesus’ words to this half of the crowd become increasingly harsh.

Jesus tells the new believers that “the truth will set you free.” This phrase has been plucked from the text and used by thousands to make their point. I still remember Jim Carey using that line in the movie Liar, Liar to hilarious effect as he defends a despicable woman in a child custody battle. Not only has it been used flippantly, such as in that movie, but also by theologians who gratefully steal that phrase to empower their own points about God. Just because I add “the truth shall set you free” doesn’t make me right. But here, within its proper context, Jesus points to Himself as the truth and there is indeed freedom found in Him.

Then He turns to the Pharisees and speaks with them about their slavery to sin. They begin the dialogue with the words “we…have never been enslaved to anyone.” This always blows me away. How can they even begin to say that? Even as they spoke they had no personal freedom as they were subject to the Romans. And then there would be several hundred (wait – thousand) years of actual slavery to all kinds of people starting with the Egyptians (see Exodus). Now they are claiming that they are slave to no one. I suppose a case could be made for them claiming to be the spiritual slave of no one – and they would still be wrong for they are currently slaves to a spiritual system of their own devising, not to mention generations of idolatry to every pagan god to whom they were introduced. It’s a claim based in falsehood. Now Jesus points them to their real master – sin. And there is where the text smacks us in the mouth, for we face the exact same master ever day of our lives.

What the Pharisees don’t seem to hear in these words of Jesus is the Gospel. He alone can free us from the task master that is our sin. Each of us has to admit in our hearts that there are moments every day when we bow down to that master and allow sin to rule our lives. But the Gospel prevails because Jesus died to earn our freedom from the bondage of sin. We are now – right now – free to live as He empowers. Sin does not own you! God owns you. The blood of Jesus guarantees it! Jesus is the Truth and He sets us free.

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