24/7 prison
The prophet Isaiah 61:1 wrote, "He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners," about the Messiah to come. Jesus spoke it again generations later, "The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
'The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed, ...'
Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, 'Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.' " (Luke 4:17-21)
He was sent to proclaim freedom for the prisoners.
Prisoners
I've been studying a lot about the apostle Paul, his travels, his suffering, and his multiple imprisonments.
But I've gotta give you a little tmi today - I got a call about a 20 year old relative of mine who is in jail...again. This would be his fourth time. His first three were for felony charges and breaking parole rules. This time it's for shoplifting. Now you've gotta understand, jail is different from prison, jail is temporary - 1,2,3 days usually, prison is long term. Jail precedes prison.
I want you to get to know this guy: He's been in church since he was 2 weeks old. His parents divorced when he was very young. He stayed with his mother who went on to marry an amazing godly man with a heart like David's - a strong warrior, competent leader, humble enough to exude "Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? (2 Samuel 7:18), who made sure he was there for dinner every night, talked about school, sports, and anything the kids wanted to during meals. He took this boy camping, spelunking (cave crawling), fishing, to sports, and to work (which was very cool because he worked with military bomb dogs for a bit of time, on a Navy ship and submarines the rest - it doesn't get much cooler for a boy than that!) This step-dad, these parents, did family Bible study times and prayed together.
Do you know what? Prison isn't a building of bricks and mortar, bars and chains; prison is knowing and ignoring. Prison is knowing and refusing.
Matthew 10:28 says
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Bars and chains imprison the body, but ignoring and refusing what you know to be true...what you know to be love...what you know to be pursuing and crying out for you is imprisoning the soul.
You don't have to be in county lock-up to be in prison. Even when the apostle Paul was beaten for being a Christian, in chains, and in a prison cell, he was free - "After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, ..." - Acts 16:23-25
You know you're not living in freedom when you continually, willfully choose your way, your will, your delight, and your desire over His. You know, because you wake up in trouble or feeling guilty...or always need to look over your shoulder or cover your tracks. That doesn't feel like freedom does it?
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners You know what? Jail precedes prison. We give up or are disobedient in little things before giving up or giving into the big things. Jail - getting caught, the wake up calls, the close calls, the "ones you got away with" that only you and God (and maybe your friends) know about, the second, third, and fourth chances - those are God pursuing you, extending mercy and grace, extending all He has...and all He has is forgiveness, new identity, all-surpassing power (2 Corinth 4:7), and His One and only Son to give to cover all sins and restore your freedom.
I don't get (and believe me, I've cried out asking for years) how someone can be surrounded by truth and pursued by love - maybe it's your family who knows and nourishes it into you (maybe you think it's "force" - that's how my 20 year old relative described it), maybe it's that you are one person in church and another at home...or at school...on dates or at the prom and homecoming dances. I don't get it...how one can know and yet choose, refuse, or surrender to live imprisoned. I don't get it...how one can feel it and yet suppress it under fear of not being fun or having fun.
24/7 prisoner of Christ living in freedom or prisoner of self living in confusion, guilt, paranoia, fear, and oppression? I guess I get it...it's a choice the hardest easy choice you'll ever make.