GALATIANS 5:1, 13-15 | FREEDOM FOR WHAT?

FREEDOM FOR WHAT?

GALATIANS 5:1, 13-15

JUNE 24, 2016

IN THE LAST DAYS OF THE CIVIL WAR, THE CONFEDERATE CAPITAL, RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, FELL TO THE UNION ARMY.  PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN INSISTED ON VISITING THE CITY.

EVEN THOUGH NO ONE KNEW HE WAS COMING, SLAVES RECOGNIZED HIM IMMEDIATELY AND THRONGED AROUND HIM.

HE HAD LIBERATED THEM BY THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION, AND NOW LINCOLN’S ARMY HAD SET THEM FREE.

ACCORDING TO ADMIRAL DAVID PORTER, AN EYEWITNESS, LINCOLN SPOKE TO THE THRONG AROUND HIM:

“MY POOR FRIENDS, YOU ARE FREE – FREE AS AIR.  YOU CAN CAST OFF THE NAME SLAVE AND TRAMPLE UPON IT… LIBERTY IS YOUR BIRTHRIGHT.”

BUT LINCOLN ALSO WARNED THEM NOT TO ABUSE THEIR FREEDOM.  “LET THE WORLD SEE THAT YOU MERIT YOUR FREEDOM;” DON’T LET YOUR JOY CARRY YOU INTO EXCESSES.  LEARN THE LAWS AND OBEY THEM.”

THIS, IT SEEMS TO ME, IS THE VERY SAME MESSAGE THE APOSTLE PAUL GIVES TO THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN FREED IN CHRIST.

JESUS GIVES US OUR TRUE BIRTHRIGHT – SPIRITUAL FREEDOM; HE HAS LIBERATED US FROM SIN AND DEATH BY HIS OWN LIFE, DEATH, AND RESURRECTION.

BUT THE APOSTLE PAUL IS RIGHT IN SAYING – THAT FREEDOM ISN’T AN EXCUSE FOR DISOBEDIENCE; INSTEAD, IT FORMS THE BASIS FOR LEARNING AND OBEYING GOD’S LAWS – DIRECTING US TO ACT ACCORDING TO GODLY PRINCIPLES.

LET ME BACK UP A MOMENT TO OUR PASSAGE FROM GALATIANS.

THIS IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF WHAT I CALL ONE OF PAUL’S THEOLOGICAL TONGUE-TWISTERS.

SOMETIMES, IT SEEMS TO ME, IN HIS EXUBERANCE TO MAKE HIS POINT, OR IN AN EFFORT TO BE AS ELOQUENT IN AS FEW WORDS AS POSSIBLE, PAUL GETS ALL TWISTED UP IN HIS WORDING, OFTEN MIXING HIS METAPHORS, AND REPEATING HIMSELF TO THE POINT OF CONFUSION.

I’VE POINTED OUT EXAMPLES OF THIS TO YOU ON PREVIOUS OCCASIONS.

WHAT PAUL DOES HERE IS TO SAY – “FOR FREEDOM, CHRIST HAS SET US FREE.  STAND FIRM, THEREFORE, AND DO NOT SUBMIT AGAIN TO A YOKE OF SLAVERY.

FOR YOU WERE CALLED TO FREEDOM, BROTHERS AND SISTERS; ONLY DO NOT USE YOUR FREEDOM AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SELF-INDULGENCE (WHAT LINCOLN SAID), BUT THROUGH LOVE BECOME SLAVES TO ONE ANOTHER.”

NOW HOLD ON A SECOND… DIDN’T PAUL JUST SAY WE ARE FREE?  AND DIDN’T HE JUST SAY THAT WE SHOULD NOT SUBMIT “AGAIN TO THE YOKE OF SLAVERY?”

AND THEN, DIDN’T HE JUST TELL US TO “BECOME SLAVES TO ONE ANOTHER?”

WHAT’S UP WITH THAT?

NOW GRANTED, I SKIPPED FROM VERSE 1 TO VERSE 13 IN MY READING FROM GALATIANS, BUT I HAVE TO TELL YOU, HAD I READ THE 11 VERSES IN BETWEEN WE WOULD NOT BE ANY LESS CONFUSED, BUT MORE.

IT SOUNDS LIKE A CONTRADICTION – “FREEDOM” AND “SLAVERY” BUT THERE IS A RATHER SIMPLE EXPLANATION FOR ALL OF THIS.

IN VERSE 1 PAUL IS TELLING US THAT CHRIST HAS FREED US FROM SIN – TO WHICH WE HAVE BEEN SLAVES.

THUS FREED, PAUL TELLS US, NOT TO RETURN AGAIN TO SIN, NOT “TO USE OUR FREEDOM AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SELF-INDULGENCE,” BUT RATHER, “THROUGH LOVE BECOME SLAVES TO ONE ANOTHER.”

WHAT PAUL IS SAYING IS THAT CHRIST HAS FREED US FROM SIN, BUT SUCH FREEDOM DOES NOT GIVE US THE RIGHT TO MISTREAT ONE ANOTHER.

IN FACT, CHRIST HAS FREED US SO AS TO SERVE ONE ANOTHER.  CHRIST HAS FREED US FROM TAKING ADVANTAGE OF ONE ANOTHER.

WE ARE NOT FREE TO HURT OR DESTROY OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS; GOD DID NOT FREE US FOR THAT; GOD FREED US TO BE SERVANTS OF GOD AND TO ONE ANOTHER, AND IT’S HERE THAT WE FIND THE GREATEST FULFILMENT LIFE HAS TO OFFER.

WE HAVE NOT BEEN FREED TO BE SELF-INDULGENT, SELF-CENTERED, SELF-SERVING, BUT RATHER, SO THAT WE CAN BE INDULGENT TOWARDS OTHERS; GOD-CENTERED; AND OF SERVICE TO GOD AND TO OTHERS.

AS SOMEONE HAS SAID, “ANYONE WRAPPED UP IN THEMSELVES MAKES A VERY SMALL PACKAGE.”

IT IS ALL SUMMED UP IN A SINGLE COMMANDMENT, PAUL WRITES, ECHOING THE WORDS OF CHRIST, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”

THEN, AS A WAY TO BACK UP THIS IDEA PAUL REVERTS TO A METAPHOR FROM THE ANIMAL KINGDOM;

ONE WE OFTEN EMPLOY OURSELVES WHEN SOMEONE’S ACTIONS DRIVE US TO CALLING THEM “AN ANIMAL;” “A COLD-BLOODED KILLER;” “A BEAST;” “A SWINE;” “THE WOLF OF WALL STREET;” JUST TO NAME A FEW EXAMPLES.

HERE’S HOW PAUL PUTS IT IN GALATIANS:

“IF, HOWEVER, YOU BITE AND DEVOUR ONE ANOTHER, TAKE CARE THAT YOU ARE NOT CONSUMED BY ONE ANOTHER.”

THE IDEA IS THAT WILD ANIMALS OFTEN FIGHT WITH EACH OTHER, BITING AND WOUNDING EACH OTHER, SOMETIMES TO THE POINT OF DEATH.

SADLY, TOO OFTEN, HUMAN BEINGS SHOW THEMSELVES TO BE LITTLE MORE THAN PART OF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM.

BUT I THINK WHAT PAUL HAS IN MIND HERE IS NOT A LITERAL “BITING AND DEVOURING ONE ANOTHER” BUT A METAPHORICAL ONE; WHAT WE DO WITH OUR WORDS AND OUR ACTIONS AGAINST EACH OTHER.

WE DO IT WHENEVER THERE IS UN-FORGIVENESS, MALICE, GOSSIP, NAME-CALLING, ENVY, BIGOTRY, HATRED OF ANY KIND.

WHENEVER WE “BACK BITE,” “TEAR INTO ONE ANOTHER,” “CHEW ‘EM UP AND SPIT ‘EM OUT;”

YOU SEE – WE USE WORDS FROM THE ANIMAL KINGDOM TO DESCRIBE OUR HUMAN CONDITION, BUT WE CANNOT OR SHOULD NOT, APPLY THE SAME WORDS WHEN SPEAKING OF GOD’S KINGDOM.

INSTEAD, IT IS THE WORDS WE OFTEN READ AT CHRISTMAS TIME, ABOUT THE PEACEABLE KINGDOM TO BE USHERED IN BY THE CHRIST CHILD, WE SHOULD USE.  FROM ISAIAH 11:6 –

“AND THE WOLF SHALL DWELL WITH THE LAMB, AND THE LEOPARD SHALL LIE DOWN WITH THE KID; AND THE CALF AND THE YOUNG LION AND THE FATLING TOGETHER; AND A LITTLE CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM.”

THIS IS THE WORLD AS GOD ENVISIONS IT; AS CHRIST HAS FREED IT TO BE; AND AS WE AS HIS FOLLOWERS ARE INTENDED TO LIVE IT OUT.

AND AS MUCH AS WE WOULD LIKE TO APPLY THESE STANDARDS ACROSS THE BOARD, IN THE BIG PICTURE, UPON THE GREATER SCHEME OF THINGS, THE TRUTH IS, WE MUST BEGIN WITH US.

WE MUST START WHERE WE LIVE; WITH THOSE CLOSEST TO US; IN OUR LITTLE CORNER OF THE WORLD;

IN HOW WE LIVE, AND MOVE, AND HAVE OUR BEING;

IN HOW WE THINK, AND SPEAK, AND ACT, AND TREAT ONE ANOTHER;

IN HOW WE PRACTICE OUR FREEDOM – AND HOW WE, “THROUGH LOVE, BECOME SLAVES (SERVANTS) TO ONE ANOTHER.”

A STORY TELLS THAT TWO FRIENDS WERE WALKING THROUGH THE DESERT.

DURING SOME POINT OF THE JOURNEY THEY HAD AN ARGUMENT, AND ONE FRIEND SLAPPED THE OTHER FRIEND IN THE FACE.

THE ONE WHO GOT SLAPPED WAS HURT, BUT WITHOUT SAYING ANYTHING, HE WROTE IN THE SAND: “TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE.”

THEY KEPT ON WALKING UNTIL THEY FOUND AN OASIS, WHERE THEY DECIDED TO JUMP IN THE WATER.  THE ONE WHO HAD BEEN SLAPPED GOT STUCK IN THE MIRE AND STARTED DROWNING, BUT THE FRIEND SAVED HIM.

AFTER HE RECOVERED FROM THE NEAR DROWNING, HE WROTE IN STONE: “TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE.”

THE FRIEND WHO HAD SLAPPED AND SAVED HIS BEST FRIEND ASKED HIM, “AFTER I HURT YOU, YOU WROTE IN THE SAND, AND NOW, YOU WRITE ON A STONE, WHY?”

THE OTHER FRIEND REPLIED: “WHEN SOMEONE HURTS US WE SHOULD WRITE IT DOWN IN THE SAND WHERE WINDS OF FORGIVENESS CAN ERASE IT AWAY.

BUT, WHEN SOMEONE DOES SOMETHING GOOD FOR US, WE MUST ENGRAVE IT IN STONE WHERE NO WIND CAN EVER ERASE IT.”

WE NEED TO LEARN TO WRITE OUR HURTS IN THE SAND, AND CARVE OUR BLESSINGS IN STONE.

THEY SAY “IT TAKES A MINUTE TO FIND A SPECIAL PERSON, AN HOUR TO APPRECIATE THEM, A DAY TO LOVE THEM, BUT AN ENTIRE LIFE TO FORGIVE THEM.”

JUST AS WE MUST BEGIN WITH OURSELVES WHEN IT COMES TO FORGIVENESS, SO TOO, MUST WE BEGIN WITH OURSELVES WITH REGARD TO ANGER.

WE ARE HEARING A LOT THESE DAYS ABOUT HOW ANGRY WE ALL ARE.  I’M NOT SURE EVERYONE IS AS ANGRY AS THEY SAY WE ARE.

I FIND A LOT OF PEOPLE SAYING, “YOU KNOW, I’M NOT ALL THAT ANGRY, BUT EVERYONE KEEPS TELLING ME I’M SUPPOSED TO BE ANGRY… SO, WELL, I GUESS I’M ANGRY… WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO BE ANGRY ABOUT?”

TRUTH IS – THERE IS NO LIMIT TO THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE WHO WILL BE GLAD TO TELL YOU WHAT YOU SHOULD BE ANGRY ABOUT, BECAUSE THEY ARE ANGRY ABOUT IT THEMSELVES…

BUT HERE’S THE THING ABOUT ANGER – ONE OF THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS – IT TURNS OUT TO BE OUR OWN SELF-UNDOING.

CERTAINLY THERE IS SUCH A THING AS RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION (JESUS TURNING OVER THE TABLES AT THE TEMPLE);

THERE ARE THINGS WORTH BEING ANGRY ABOUT, WORTH FIGHTING FOR (AND AGAINST), WORTH STANDING UP FOR (AND AGAINST); EVEN WORTH SITTING DOWN FOR, ON THE FLOOR OF THE HOUSE, FOR (AND AGAINST) EVEN IF IT DIDN’T DO ANY GOOD;

AND WE SHOULD BE ANGRY ABOUT THE THINGS THAT WOULD ANGER GOD – THAT’S THE “RIGHTEOUS” PART OF RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION.

BUT ANGRY FOR THE SAKE OF BEING ANGRY… THAT WILL BE OUR SELF AND OUR SOCIETY’S UNDOING.

LET ME LET SOMEONE WISER THAN ME SAY WHAT I AM TRYING TO SAY ABOUT ANGER – AND BE SURE TO LISTEN TO HOW CLOSELY IT PARALLELS WHAT PAUL SAYS IN OUR PASSAGE FROM GALATIANS FOR THIS MORNING.

THIS IS THE THEOLOGICAL DEFINITION OF ANGER ACCORDING TO FRED BUECHNER, ONE OF MY FAVORITE WRITERS:

“OF THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS, ANGER IS POSSIBLY THE MOST FUN. 

TO LICK YOUR WOUNDS, TO SMACK YOUR LIPS OVER GRIEVANCES LONG PAST, TO ROLL OVER YOUR TONGUE THE PROSPECT OF BITTER CONFRONTATIONS STILL TO COME, TO SAVOR TO THE LAST TOOTHSOME MORSEL BOTH THE PAIN YOU ARE GIVEN AND THE PAIN YOU ARE GIVING BACK – IN MANY WAYS IT IS A FEAST FIT FOR A KING.

THE CHIEF DRAWBACK IS THAT WHAT YOU ARE WOLFING DOWN IS YOURSELF.  THE SKELETON AT THE FEAST IS YOU.”

TO SAY THAT IN A MORE CONVENTIONAL WAY, THE WAY THAT MOST OF US WOULD LIKELY SAY IT, “WE ARE EATEN UP WITH ANGER,” OR IN THE EVEN MORE VERNACULAR VERSION: “WE ARE ‘ET UP WITH IT.”

HOWEVER, AS BUECHNER CAUTIONS US ABOUT ANGER, IT IS WE OURSELVES WHO ARE BEING DEVOURED, EATEN ALIVE BY IT.

UN-FORGIVENESS, ANGER, MALICE, GOSSIP, NAME-CALLING, ENVY, BIGOTRY, HATRED, YOU NAME IT… IF ANY OF IT IS GOING TO CHANGE, IT IS GOING TO CHANGE WHEN WE DO.

WHAT WE WANT FROM OTHERS; WHAT WE EXPECT FROM OUR LEADERS; WHAT WE DEMAND OF SOCIETY; BEGINS WITH US.

I KNOW IT HAS GONE BEYOND THE PALE OF CLICHÉ, BUT IT’S TRUE: “BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD.”

FREEDOM FOR WHAT?

“TO LOVE THE LORD OUR GOD, AND OUR NEIGHBOR AS OURSELVES.”

FREEDOM FOR WHAT?

NOT AS “AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SELF-INDULGENCE, BUT THROUGH LOVE, TO BE SERVANTS TO ONE ANOTHER.”

FREEDOM FOR WHAT?

TO SERVE, NOT OURSELVES AND OUR OWN SELF-INTERESTS, BUT GOD AND THE INTERESTS OF OTHERS.  IN LOVE, WE ARE TO SERVE ONE ANOTHER.

(OUR VIDEO THIS MORNING IS VERY SHORT – IT’S QUITE SIMILAR TO A COMMERCIAL THAT WAS OUT THERE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO – BUT IT MAKES THE POINT THAT ACTS OF SERVICE TO OTHERS PRESENT THEMSELVES EVERY DAY.

THEY DON’T HAVE TO BE HUGE ACTS OF SERVICE; PLANNED, SCHEDULED, COMMITTEE-ED TO DEATH, JUST SIMPLE ACTS OF CHRISTIAN KINDNESS AND GENEROSITY.)