Freedom Fighters

Isaiah 58:6-12

Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people. (Isaiah 58:6)

JESUS CAME FOR FREEDOM. He said so, and so did Paul (John 8:36; 2 Corinthians 3:17). The messianic manifesto long foretold in Isaiah (61:1-2) and claimed by Jesus in Luke 4 signals a keen interest on God’s part to see the human race delivered from the forces that hold it captive. Whether by spiritual, emotional, relational, political, physical, or any other kind of oppression, we were never meant to be caged. We were created to live unbound.

That does not mean we can live lives of independence or amoral behavior, which lead to all sorts of unintended captivities. It does, however, mean we can loose ourselves from false restraints, false expectations, and false images that distort our original design. Our spirits were meant to soar as freely as the Spirit who captivates us with his love. Seeking that kind of freedom is much higher on God’s list of priorities for us than the religious formalities many of us use to become “holy” or “spiritual.” That’s what God’s words through Isaiah mean—the “fasting” he prefers is for us to deal ruthlessly with oppression in all its forms, both for ourselves and others. Jesus made that kind of freedom part of his mission, and he makes it part of the mission of all who follow him. In many respects, his calling is our calling (John 20:21). We are freedom fighters in the truest sense of the term.

What does that look like in your life? Where many Christians emphasize a concern for either spiritual or physical captivity, you become concerned for all that and more. You begin to see every form of oppression as a distortion of the original design and an enemy of the life God has given us. Oppression is anti-gospel, which means God has a solution for it. Seek that solution for yourself and for others wherever you see the ravages of oppression. Speak words of life that free spirits, minds, and bodies from their chains. In every relationship, become a messenger of the heart set free.

{Jesus, let your mission become my mission. Let my heart beat with yours when I see oppression in all its forms. Give me the wisdom, power, and love to be free and help others find freedom too. Amen.