What are we looking for? What is the desire in the deep recess of our being? What do we want as we see the different chains, shackling us in the darkness of a dungeon prison of our own making? What is the cry of our hearts that we are afraid to shout because there may not be anyone listening or caring?

You remember that famous line from Braveheart uttered courageously by Mel Gibson in the role of Bruce Wallace: FREEDOM! That’s what Jesus has come to give us: FREEDOM!  Can you make that your own personal cry? FREEDOM! Again! FREEDOM! Can you cry out: JESUS? The two are synonymous.  When Jesus is in our life, there is freedom. Where there is true freedom, there is Jesus, the source and summit of all freedom.

This freedom was promised by God to his chosen people enslaved in Egypt for 400 years. This freedom was his gift to them. But first they had to get rid of their gods. They had to leave behind in the desert all that was sinful and embrace the covenant of freedom with him. They did and they did not. Their history is like our history. We want to be free but are not sure if we will be able to pay the cost of freedom. The truth is: we can’t pay the cost and we don’t have to pay the cost. It has been paid for by Jesus on the cross through the shedding of his blood and the gift of his own life for our lives.

Jesus did this because he loves us so much. As Paul tells us he didn’t lay down his life when we were friends and deserving of this act.  He chose to give his life, to die in our place when we were his enemies. He loved us that much.  As a result we are not slaves any longer.

He calls us to be who we are meant to be: Adopted sons and daughters of a Father who loves us and desires us to live in the freedom of his love. For it is real, authentic, selfless love that sets us free. Jesus manifested this love on the cross. It is love that will enable and empower us to remain free in him.  And it is our response to love with love that guarantees that this gift of freedom will last.

The word of God in the scriptures of love reveals this truth again and again.  (To be continued)