Freedom Is Coming
Sermon for Mother's Day and Easter 7, May 12, 2013
(Acts 16:16-34 with John 17:20-26 in the b.g.)
I want to have us wrestle with 2 questions this morning. The first is "Do you, do we want freedom?" What do you think? Do we really have to wrestle with this? Of course we want freedom! Freedom is good. It's even part of our national anthem, 'TRUE NORTH STRONG AND FREE'.
I remember being 16 years old. Those of you who are older than 16, do you remember that experience? And those of you who may be younger than 16, do you look forward to being 16? When I was 16 I knew that I could "get" my license to drive. Then I would be free. I could go anywhere I wanted. I could take anyone with me that I wanted. And in some ways I did. But along the way I learned that freedom also entails responsibility. I gathered a few speeding tickets, had more than a few close encounters – and on occasion was spared and others were spared from my irresponsibility by ... the grace of God.
Freedom isn't exercised in a vacuum. Our freedom comes in relationship with others, with creation and with God. With freedom comes responsibility. So, are you sure you want freedom?
Paul was beginning to exercise a freedom that was beyond comprehension. He no longer was compelled to hate anyone – or even to prove anything to anyone. So, off Paul goes, hither, thither and yon, telling others about the Lord who encountered him on the road to Damascus. How, he Paul had been turned around. While on his way to Damascus to persecute some followers of the Way (i.e. followers of Jesus) he experienced a vision and everything changed. During the vision he was asked, "why he was persecuting Jesus?"
Now to make a long story short, Paul is attempting to tell others about Jesus realizing that the old boundaries he once felt were the bedrock of his existence were melting away in the love and forgiveness of this Jesus. He not only wants to tell, he is compelled to tell.
But all is not rosy for him in this freedom. Some other Christians refuse to accept that non Jews could be welcomed by God without the earlier traditions. Many are not happy about the barriers literally falling around them. Today's first lesson is a case in point. A woman is following Paul and Silas on their way to prayer. She is loudly declaring that they are slaves of the Most High God who proclaim a way of salvation. Much of what she is yelling is absolutely true. They are slaves of the most high God, bound in Him and so freed to love others. They are proclaiming a way of salvation – the way in fact. But after a while this frequent yelling and being followed irritates Paul. Then he acts – casting whatever it is that has ensnared this young woman out of her. She stops screaming. But not everyone is rejoicing. As she stops screaming, discerning spirits, she also ceases making money for her owners. They are not impressed! They have been living off the avails of this woman's oppression. Now they, the "owners" of this woman are out to get Paul and Silas.
So, the opposition to Paul and Silas' freedom is real – and the freedom that they bring to others, including this woman. As a result Paul and Silas are beaten and thrown into jail, into the innermost cell. It's far from pretty.
We next observe them at midnight. Are they lamenting their plight, complaining or cursing? NO. Instead they are praying and singing hymns. The other prisoners are enthralled. What kind of freedom is this – that when things look very bleak these 2 followers of Jesus are enabled to pray and sing. Are they deluded, out of touch with reality? No!
What happens next furthers their freedom and the freedom of all who would follow the Christ. They are miraculously delivered from being that temporary prison. If that had happened to us, we probably would have hightailed it out of there as quickly as possible. On occasion Paul needed to do just that. But not on this occasion. Paul and Silas remain in the jail. They do so to prevent the jailer from committing suicide. The jailer's immediate future would have been one of extreme punishment, even death if his "prisoners" had escaped. As he comes to them they dialogue with him. Then he is moved to ask them – how can they have such freedom, such life? What must he do to be so delivered?
This brings us to my second question – a two sided question: Do we want prayers? If so, do we pray? Once again the answers seem obvious. Of course we want prayers! Jesus commands us to pray. The early Christians were encouraged to pray without ceasing. Being enabled to speak with and listen to God, is one of the very greatest privileges, freedoms of life!
But know this. Prayer changes things! In fact prayer often first changes the one(s) praying. If you doubt me, observe the many occasions of Paul's prayers and Jesus' prayers.
It amazes me that Paul and Silas could pray for others that night and sing praises to God while they themselves were locked up in prison. I have heard similar stories about South African Christians who while imprisoned during the so-called reign of apartheid in South Africa continued to sing and even offer prayers for their jailers. How could any jailer remain hard hearted when he heard his so-called prisoners praying for his well being and the well being of his loved ones – or when he heard them singing joyfully while they were locked up? It just isn't logical or reasonable.
You see there is something else going on here. That something else is the activity of God – the One who brings freedom out of oppression, life out of death, hope out of despair. This God works to overcome barriers and knock down walls of imprisonment for all, so that all might be freed – freed to love and not hate, freed to trust and care instead of being filled with suspicion and apathy.
We are privileged to live in an amazing world in an incredible time. There are so many we know, who do not know the love of God in Jesus Christ, the incredible freedom he brings and the joyous responsibility to care and live by God's grace.
We are called through our baptism by the Holy Spirit to bear God's creative and redeeming word to the world – with our own unique personal and communal gifts. But we will not be strong enough to do this – unless by God's grace we act with the discipline that God gives us and all his people from time immemorial – disciplines of song and prayer, of gathering together, of continually seeking God's guidance and help not just for ourselves, but for the world.
On this mother's day and in the coming days, let us not be afraid of freedom ever realizing that true freedom comes from God and is intended not just for us or even only for those like us, but for all people. Such freedom moves us to love, to give, and to forgive. May our prayers propel us beyond ourselves to at least a partial vision of God's hope and dream, the well being of the entire world, for Christ's sake. Now such living is freedom! Amen.