30 May 2018
We don’t usually think of ourselves as “captives.” But the Scriptures today suggest that it
might be helpful to think of ourselves as such.
St. Peter writes, “Beloved, realize that you were ransomed….” And then Jesus says, “the Son of Man came to
give his life as a ransom for many.”
Of course, a “ransom” is given specifically to release someone
who’s been held captive. If Jesus died
for us, it wasn’t only to show us his love and devotion. It was also to free us. But, again, we don’t usually think of
ourselves as even being captive. So the
idea of Jesus “freeing” us doesn’t always resonate. But, still, the Scriptures today suggest we might
want to think and pray about that.
We humans can be captive to a lot of things, things like:
food, or the need for others’ approval.
We can be captive to our own negative thoughts about ourselves or others—ruminating
about faults and failures; being captive to resentments or unforgiveness. We can be captive to our ways and patterns of
thinking, without considering there might be other ways.
That’s not to say we shouldn’t be committed to certain things
in life; certain values, ways of thinking and believing, and so on. But are there things in life which…hold us
back? Are there things we do, or ways of
thinking which frustrate us, or limit us?
If not, that’s great—maybe God has already set you free from them. But if there are areas in life where, “Yes, I’m
a captive to something,” it’s good to ask how the Lord can “set you free” from
it.
We don’t usually think of ourselves as “captives.” But, again, the Lord came to “give his life
as a ransom.” Is there an area of my
life where I could use the Lord’s help to be free?
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