Liberty: freedom, independence, autonomy. It’s as misunderstood in our day, as it was in Jesus’. His followers had been waiting for a Messiah to come and set them free politically. This is what Luke records happened the first time Jesus got up to speak publically. “He came to Nazareth where he had been reared. As he always did on the Sabbath, he went to the meeting place. When he stood up to read, he was handed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Unrolling the scroll, he found the place where it was written,
God's Spirit is on me;
he's chosen me to preach the Message of good news to
the poor,
Sent me to announce pardon to prisoners and
recovery of sight to the blind,
To set the burdened and battered free,
to announce, "This is God's year to act!"
He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the assistant, and sat down. Every eye in the place was on him, intent. Then he started in, "You've just heard Scripture make history. It came true just now in this place." (Luke 4:16-21 MSG) The listeners didn’t know at first that the burdened and battered were all of us who have been beaten around by our circumstances and thoughts. They were still waiting for political victory.
I went swimming with my granddaughters yesterday. The two-year-old Amanda, (whose name means “beloved”) decided she wanted to be free, independent, autonomous. (Is there any other way for a two-year-old to be?) She took off her floatie and sat on the step. Then she asked me to swim away from her. I said, “No, I’m just going to stay near-by in case you need me.” It didn’t take her long to figure out she wasn’t as free as she thought. You’re pretty stuck sitting on a step. Even if you move, water splashes in your face, and you don’t know what to do. She soon said, “I need you.” My first thought was, “Oh, how I need you too, my beloved.” I opened up my arms and she jumped into them, both of us laughing and delighted, and together we swam around farther than she could have imagined.
I wonder if that’s how we are with God. We think we’ll be really free and independent if He just gives us some space and lets us handle our lives. Sooner or later we come to our senses and realize we’re really just stuck, and we need Him. As soon as we cry out to Him, He opens His arms and welcomes us. He doesn’t say, “finally, you realized how needy you are,” or “I told you you’d need me.” No, He says, “I’ve come to set you free if you’ll stick close to me. You will be amazed at how good life is and how much more you can be if you’ll live life my way. I’ll stick close to you. I’ll take you on new adventures. I’ll even empower you to do what I’m leading you into.”
That’s what this blog is going to be about; the quest for real liberty no matter the politics or circumstances of life around us. What is Jesus offering, and what is our part? He said he came to set us free. A brave heart cries out and pursues… “FREEDOM.”
Hello, Your great-grandmother Laura Bertwell Crow Gillespie was my great-aunt. Her brother Ira was my great-grandfather. I have a picture of Laura and her children when they were very young that your family should have. I would like to scan it and email it to you if you are interested. Thanks.
Posted by: Jolene | May 02, 2012 at 08:21 PM