Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Lectionary: 253

Jesus answered them, "Amen, amen, I say to you,
everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.
A slave does not remain in a household forever, but a son always remains.
So if the Son frees you, then you will truly be free.

 S everal years after the Lord's quarrel with the Jews, Saint Paul would clarify the distinction between freedom and licence: 

For you were called for freedom, brothers. But do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh; rather, serve one another through love.

For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

But if you go on biting and devouring one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another. (Galatians 5:13-15)

Paul's distinction would be useful for the discussion in America today if we were free to cite the wisdom of God's word.

The philosopher John Macmurray, shortly after World War II, wrote: 

“…the essential conditions of freedom are social and the simplest answer to the question, “ Why cannot I do as I please?” is “Because other people won’t let me.”

 There is a second corollary of our interdependence which is less widely recognized, and which seems to me the most important of all. No man can secure his own freedom for himself. He must accept it as a free gift from others, and if they will not give it to him he cannot have it. This is the law of freedom…. If we struggle to achieve our own private freedom we merely frustrate ourselves and destroy its possibility; for we cannot free ourselves from our dependence upon our fellows…. 

When we profess our faith in freedom we often mean only that we want to be free. What honor is there in such a miserable faith? Which of us would not like to do as he pleases – if only he could escape the consequences? 

To believe in freedom, in any sense worthy of consideration, is to believe in setting other people free. This is to some extent within our power, and it is the greatest service we can render; even if it must be, at times, by the sacrifice of our own. 

In giving freedom to others we have a right to hope that they in turn will have the grace and gratitude to give us ours. But of this we can have no guarantee. (The Conditions of Freedom John Macmurray, Humanity Books, 1949) [Red letter highlights are my own.]

A fellow might invite his friend to "Help yourself from the refrigerator," or, "...any tool in the garage;" and he could not complain if his friend did so. If the friend were not invited to "help yourself." and did so anyway, he might anticipate the misunderstanding and say, "I took the liberty of helping myself to...." and be granted an immediate reassurance, "Mi casa es su casa!" Were the friend, however, to "take liberties" with his couch, his bedroom, his wife or daughters, the freedom is withdrawn and the friendship is annulled! 

From those examples we might suppose Macmurray's definition of freedom always entails a relationship and conversation between the parties. Freedom doesn't exist in a vacuum, and it doesn't apply to isolated persons whose thoughts, words, and deeds have no bearing on other people. Cole Porter's song, Don't fence me in, may be fun to sing but has nothing to do with freedom. 

Turning to scripture and the divine dispensation, we celebrate the freedom of knowing and serving the Lord. "For freedom, Christ set us free!" Saint Paul shouts in Galatians 5: "so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery." He was surely reflecting the Lord's insistent words, "...everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin." 

"In his will is our peace." Dante wrote. And so we discipline our aimless desires, impulsive willfulness, and errant thoughts to seek a better understanding of God's will for us. We test every Spirit, as Saint John urged us, never trusting our own impulses without trying them in the courtroom of conversation with fellow disciples. We study the Church's tradition of ethical and moral teaching, especially as rapidly developing new technologies become available. We have not thrown up our hands and retired from intelligent conversation with philosophers, scientists, and society. 

Without that deliberate, difficult conversation we are surely doomed to the slavery of sin. No one said freedom comes easily and without effort. But it is graceful, realistic, and beautiful for those who have eyes to see. It fascinates and invites those who would know God better.