“Live free or die”, you don’t have to be a slave yourself to appreciate man’s yearning for freedom. There is no short supply of brave souls in history that chose to bow out of this world with this toast. Thanks to the never dying pursuit of freedom, a once ubiquitous open slavery has now become a chapter in history book.
Yet do we really live free? Slavery becomes unbearable only to those who know freedom. For someone who was born and raised as a slave, it may be hard to understand what living free means. Being a slave, not only his right to choose is taken away, but his sense of choices: ‘free man’ could be utterly alien to him. If you try to set him free, he may end up doing one of the two things: either try to find a new owner, or try to own slaves himself. If you want to truly set him free, you have to buy him first and be his master, and train him to live a life that is truly free.
Born to be mortal and bound to sin and death, it is not easy to understand Jesus’ offer of forgiveness and eternal life. That’s why most people only have interest in His miracles (Mk8:12). Back then people followed him because he can instantly make bread out of thin air (Mt 14:19). Don’t think we’re better. People would pay much attention if prayer works at their job hunting. Yet they find Jesus’ promise of salvation and eternal life not relevant!
Jesus came, to be our Savior and our Master, to set us free and to lead us to eternal bliss. It may be hard to communicate freedom to ‘professional’ slaves, yet we still proclaim the gospel, since it is the power of God that can set us free (Rm 1:16); because we were slaves and now we are set free. In the end, it is indeed that we either live free, or die.
Mark 8:12 And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.”
Matthew 14:19 Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. |
发表于 2011-4-8 07:09
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