True freedom: condition to be disciple of Christ

Prayer: may the words of my mouth and meditation of all our hearts be acceptable to
you our rock and redeemer.

During the US civil war Abraham Lincoln met with a group of ministers for a
prayer before breakfast. Lincoln was not a church-goer but was a man of deep,
if at times unorthodox, faith. At one point one of the ministers said, “Mr
President, let us pray that God is on our side”. Lincoln’s response showed far
greater insight, “No, gentlemen, let us pray that we are on God’s side.” Lincoln
reminded those ministers that prayer in Christian worship is not a tool by which
we get God to do what we want but an invitation to open ourselves to being and
doing what God wants. Many a time in our personal or community life we fails
to recognize the truth of God revealed in Jesus to redeem and liberate the whole
universe. The read pericope reminds about such an attitude possessed by a
group of Christian Jews who tend to realize the implication of truth and freedom
in their relationship with God.

John’s gospel uses word picture to give readers a way of seeing themselves in
relation to God, Jesus and community. In verse 12- 20 Jesus shows contrast
between light and darkness, which identifies different directions of action
without forgetting the need for discernment. The description of light and
darkness in the passage doesn’t imply it’s function but are used in terms of
perspective on discipleship, moral formation and ethics, light bring the truth of
God that is revealed in Jesus. The passage read to us consider the theme of true
discipleship and Jesus addressed it to his Jewish audience who followed Jesus.
Jesus was aware about theological debate existing with Jews and Jewish
Christians hence, the identification of Jesus audience here as the Jew believed in
him does not point to a specific historical audience either in the Gospel but
serves to highlight the intensity of this theological debate between Jews and
Jewish Christians. The truth and freedom that promised by Jesus are not abstract
principles but like light and life is bound to the word. Jesus is challenging the
negligence of his audience to accept and hear the true word that brings access
and ease to true discipleship in Christ. Today we will deliberate upon two points
that will give new insights to us, as we are continuing as disciples of Jesus.

Knowing the Truth

In the dialogue with his Jewish followers Jesus is trying to implant in them the
necessity of knowing the truth. The truth is the good news of salvation and
liberation possible only through Jesus’ words revealed by parent God. The truth
is the presence of God in Jesus. Only by acquiring the true spirit and
regenerated life of Jesus can any human be delivered from the bondage induced
by ignorance of the actual truth about God, about man, and about the relation
between God and Human. In verse 33, Jesus’ reinterpretation of freedom evokes
resistance in his listeners. They deny his words by appealing to their heritage as
children of Abraham. They are unwilling to realize the supreme truth Jesus
taught them by using ‘freedom’ as the means for knowing truth. But they
misquote the word ‘freedom’ in accordance with their previous experiences of
slavery, bondage and captivity under foreign hegemony and their present
situation as victims of Roman imperialism. Jesus is criticising their sinful
behaviour of unbelief from God as a reason for slavery. John in his gospel
doesn’t speak of sin primarily as transgressions of moral code, but he does
assume as unbelief from faith in God. We are called to be Disciples of Christ,
hence we are obliged in knowing the truth that salvation and redemption is only
possible through Jesus. The truth to which Jesus refers is more than factual
correctness that dominates so much of our thought process.

Freed by truth

The liberating power of the truth is unknowable, apart from being Jesus disciple
which in turn depends on one’s relationship to Jesus This knowledge is
produced by our relationship with Christ who is the Truth. A full and believing
apprehension of the Son of God, a realization of what he is, confers a new life
and reveals the wonderful possibilities and relations of human nature. Freedom
can be interpreted in a variety of contexts in Jewish tradition but its root context
is the exodus to freedom out of slavery in Egypt. But in this context the listeners
misinterpreted Jesus’ notion of freedom. The freedom that Jesus offers is not a
political system; it is a release from the chains that enslave ones soul. We are all
slaves, held in bondage to sin and as the confession states, we cannot free
ourselves. It is through the word of God we will be set free the bondage of sin,
not by the means of legacy or heritage we are holding on in our community life.
Thus as true Disciples of Christ we are envisioned with necessity of knowing
the true word of God revealed through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus
Christ.

We will be freed only by knowing the truth that Christ realized from his
relationship with parent God. Hence we have to renew our relationship with
God in order to be escaped from the controls of slavery and sin. This Lent
season is an opportunity to evaluate ourselves and to return the fallen glory.
Amen.