Freedom!
by Jeff and Jana Galt
One of our family’s favorite movies is Braveheart. It is a story of a reluctant warrior who rose to become the leader of Scotland’s fight for independence. Near the conclusion, William Wallace meets his end in a most horrific way. Summoning all his strength his final act is a defiant cry of “Freedom!”
Freedom is our rallying cry too. We Americans are blessed to live in a nation that cherishes freedom. We enshrined it in our Constitution. The freedoms to worship, to gather, to associate, to speak, to bear arms, etc. We are considered – and we view ourselves – as a free people.
We consider Freedom to be an inherent human right. Something with which our Creator endowed us as human beings.
So what do we make of Isaiah 42:1? “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight…” We Americans don’t tend to think very highly of servants. Webster’s lists the following terms as synonyms of servant: domestic, flunky, lackey, menial, retainer, slavey and steward. Most Americans wouldn’t consider this a list of admirable professions. All of these roles require submission and that seems to be in direct conflict with our natural right to freedom.
Is this another example of Satan twisting what God intended to make it a stumbling block to our relationship with that same Creator who gave us the yearning to be free? Christ modeled the balance. He was free to accept or reject his calling, yet he chose to be his Father’s Servant even unto death – a death he did not deserve. Through his obedience, he conquered death and showed us the path to everlasting life.
Freedom. Submission. Christ showed us a way to reconcile the two concepts while reconciling us to Him and His Father.