For at least 20 percent...
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For at least 20 percent of their history as a people, they had been slaves under the pharaohs in Egypt. Since the year 722 B.C. the inhabitants of Israel had lived in exile, dispersed throughout other lands that had been conquered by the Assyrian military machine. Beginning in 587 B.C. the people of Judah had lived for two generations in exile in Babylon. At the very time this conversation was happening these people were anything but free, living under the iron fist of the Romans. How could these people say to Jesus, "We ... have never been slaves to anyone"?
Many of us caucasian Americans whose ancestry hearkens back to northern Europe and Scandinavia might want to claim that our people have never been slaves to anyone. But we'd still be missing the point of what Jesus is saying. Even if we could ignore all of that history of the bondage of the Jews, or even if we could find no trace of bondage in our ancestry, Jesus' point still stands. "Everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin." Maybe you don't believe it. Maybe you can point to examples of sin that you have avoided or habits that you have broken. But try this: stop sinning. Draw up a nice official looking document that says on this date you agree to never sin again. Could you keep your end of such a promise? Of course not. That's what it means to be a slave to sin. I need more than firm resolve to conquer this slavery. I need my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Son who makes me free.
Many of us caucasian Americans whose ancestry hearkens back to northern Europe and Scandinavia might want to claim that our people have never been slaves to anyone. But we'd still be missing the point of what Jesus is saying. Even if we could ignore all of that history of the bondage of the Jews, or even if we could find no trace of bondage in our ancestry, Jesus' point still stands. "Everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin." Maybe you don't believe it. Maybe you can point to examples of sin that you have avoided or habits that you have broken. But try this: stop sinning. Draw up a nice official looking document that says on this date you agree to never sin again. Could you keep your end of such a promise? Of course not. That's what it means to be a slave to sin. I need more than firm resolve to conquer this slavery. I need my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Son who makes me free.
