I can do whatever I want! - February 4
Daily Readings: AM Psalm [70], 71; PM Psalm 74; Isa. 55:1-13; Gal. 5:1-15; Mark 8:27-9:1
As it may not surprise you, as a big brother, some of my fondest memories are of the ridiculous and hilarious things either I would do to my little sister, Ann, or she would do on her own. Every slip-up, error, or rule broken was just another way for me to exact my revenge on the one who lived to frustrate me. For example, when she mispronounced the popular fast-food diner, ‘Steek’ and Shake with an exceptionally long ‘e’ sound instead of ‘Steak,” I would be sure to remind her and my family of the new name at each passing of billboards for at least the next four years.
One of the funnier things I remember Ann saying was on her thirteenth birthday when she turned to mom and shouted, “I can do whatever I want now, because I’m a teenager.” I was almost sixteen at this point and was grounded most of the time, so I knew this wasn’t true, so I just started laughing. My mom followed suit, with one of those deep belly roars, and we were sure to remind her with every opportunity of just how ridiculous her idea of freedom really was. I guess the good news for Ann was at least I had forgotten about ‘Steek’ and Shake.
Don’t worry, Ann has often had the last laugh. For years, I thought Ann’s comment was ridiculous because she was off on her timing. I assumed that at some point, we reach adulthood, and we can do whatever we want. We can have pizza rolls for dinner four nights a week or watch Netflix until 1 a.m. every night because we are free. We can refuse to wear our seat belt, or call someone a name on Facebook because isn’t that what it means to be free? I can do what I want, eat what I want, say what I want, wear what I want, believe what I want?
Maybe that is true freedom, but it certainly not the kind of freedom that Paul talks about in Galatians. Paul is beginning to explore the idea of freedom in Christ, because let’s face it, we as humans believe that to live is to be free. Or maybe that is just New Hampshire.
In the fifth chapter, Paul begins his argument with the idea that Christ sets us free from the yoke of slavery. But here, he is not referring to oppressive laws or ordnances that we don’t like (maybe like a mask mandate), but to how we become slaves to perpetuating our mortal existence. (This is especially clear in the next section of Galatians when Paul talks about living by the Spirit). It’s fascinating that at the end of this passage, he flips the metaphor when he says, for you are called into freedom…through love [to] become slaves to one another. Freedom as slaves? What? Freedom not only connects us to each other but creates an obligation to love another!
See, Christian freedom doesn’t mean we get to do whatever we want. That sure would be easy. But instead, Christian freedom means we are free to love our neighbor, to act rightly and justly, to live according to God’s law which Paul sums up when he says, “For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ (v.14)”. To be free is to live into God’s call for us. I’m sorry to say that doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want. Don’t worry. God’s got a better plan.
John+
Question for Self-Reflection: How does this reflection challenge your assumptions on freedom? What does it mean to you to be free?
Daily Challenge: Pick one way of loving your neighbor that you don’t like to do. Make a commitment to do just this for at least the month of February.