The High Price of Freedom
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Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. – Galatians 5:1
My heart swelled with admiration as I listened to my fourteen-year-old granddaughter, Saoirse, recite the speech she had memorized. She had chosen to memorize a speech given by Judge Learned Hand in 1944 titled "Spirit of Liberty." Her vocal inflections conveyed a full understanding of the content she presented, and her passion demonstrated her conviction in the truth of her message. Here are the quotes that impressed me most:
“And what is this liberty which must lie in the hearts of men and women? It is not the ruthless, the unbridled will; it is not freedom to do as one likes. That is the denial of liberty and leads straight to its overthrow. A society in which men recognize no check upon their freedom soon becomes a society where freedom is the possession of only a savage few - as we have learned to our sorrow.”
“The spirit of liberty is the spirit of him who, near two thousand years ago, taught mankind that lesson it has never learned, but has never quite forgotten—that there may be a kingdom where the least shall be heard and considered side-by-side with the greatest.”
The Declaration of Independence ends with this pledge from the Founding Fathers of the U.S., “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”
Much blood was spilled in the Revolutionary War to ensure we could have freedom in our country. Yet, that price pales in comparison to the price Jesus paid to set us free from the bondage of sin and death.
Our God took on flesh. He became a helpless infant to rescue helpless, hopeless sinners. He experienced being human firsthand, harassed by hatred, hunger, and sleeplessness. He knows the pain of losing loved ones, being misunderstood, and unjustly convicted of a crime he never committed. The Creator of the universe endured the insult of His creatures because that was the only way to free us from our selfish, senseless existence. As a result of His sacrifice, we who were condemned by the eating of a forbidden fruit now grow the life-giving fruit of his spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22 – 23). True freedom feeds hungry souls with this fruit and sweetens the bitterness of a fallen world.
It amazes me that the omnipotent God designed us with minds of our own. And endowed us with the freedom to choose Him or reject Him. True freedom requires indebtedness to protect others' liberty. And that’s exactly what Jesus did when He died in our place to set us free. “Freedom isn’t free.” (Colonel Walter Hitchcock)
Questions for Reflection:
1. What can you do to ensure the freedom of others?
2. How do you esteem others as more valuable than yourself?
