The heart of the free

“... a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. When the disciples saw this, they were indignant, ‘Why this waste?’ They asked. ‘This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.’” Matthew 16:6-9

Have lots of money? Give to the poor! It seems like a righteous slam-dunk, doesn’t it? I mean, what would we say if we were there as this woman broke open a jar of perfume and poured out an entire year’s wages in a single moment? Wouldn’t we moralize, too? Or maybe it’s better to ask ourselves, wouldn’t we also be tempted to reduce this woman’s sacrificial act of love to a sterile study in situational ethics?

The heart is a labyrinth so complex we are easily and often lost on our own paths. How is it, for instance, we justify our disgust for a person by measuring him or her against our moral rules? Or, like the disciples, do we really think we can cozy up to Jesus by condemning our neighbor? Why do we keep judging the act without knowing the heart? And in so doing, what do we betray about ourselves? This is not to say “it’s all good” and there is no right and wrong. Rather, the heart of our sin nature is an incompetent magistrate and a hypocritical one, at that.

But how different the heart freed and made new in Christ! Not even the noblest of religious expectations could constrain the woman’s sacrificial act of love. Likely, she was completely unaware of the ultimate significance of her gesture, which was to prepare Jesus for burial; she knew only the Spirit’s voice and her desire to heed his call. And how did Jesus – he who cared more about the poor than anyone else in the room – respond? “She has done a beautiful thing to me.... I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” What does he ask of any of us but such faith and obedience? What could please him more?

It was Paul who wrote, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17). Clearly, the Spirit was upon the woman with the perfume that day and certainly she followed in freedom. Her story lives on forever as a quiet lesson in liberty.

Holy Spirit, live in me today. Move me freely in your ways – unfettered and eager to do the Father’s will in even the smallest of ways.

[The reading for the day is Matthew 26:6-16.]

Freedom to do what we ought

“Then I summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials take an oath to do what they had promised.  I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, ‘In this way may God shake out of his house and possessions every man who does not keep this promise.  So may such a man be shaken out and emptied!’  At this the whole assembly said, ‘Amen,’ and praised the Lord.  And the people did as they promised.”  Nehemiah 5:12b-13

We have all quoted the 19th Century English historian, Lord Acton.  Let us repeat together: “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”  Recognize him now?

Yet today's text in Nehemiah 5 brings to mind another astute observation from this insightful writer:  “Liberty is not the power of doing what we like, but the right of being able to do what we ought.”

As the people labored with Nehemiah to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, a wealthy few conveniently took the former view freedom, doing as they pleased because ... well, because they could!  The landless had to borrow for food, landowners had to mortgage their properties, and others had to borrow money to pay taxes.  And the people of means were all too willing to lend to these, their brothers, at exorbitant rates ... because they could!

When Nehemiah heard the people's outcry, he became “very angry.”  He wisely “pondered” their charges and then confronted the nobles and officials: “You are exacting usury from your own countrymen!”  Then having clearly established that truth of the matter, Nehemiah came along side of the nobles and officials to help them better understand their wrong.  He explained, “I and my brothers are also lending the people money and grain.  But let the exacting of usury stop!  Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the usury you are charging
them ...”

To Nehemiah, freedom was the ability to do as he ought.  It was Lord Acton’s view of freedom; it was the right view of freedom.  And its truth cut the nobles and officials to the heart.  They kept quiet at first, unable to find anything to say.  The words that finally did come were those of conviction and repentance, “We will give it back ... and we will not demand anything more from them.  We will do as you say.”  And after confirming their intentions with an oath, they all said “Amen” and they praised the Lord, together.  Unity was restored.

There is something refreshing about aligning ourselves with God's truth in a matter.  Our ways are always at odds with his, and his ways are always good and right.  And when we course-correct in conviction and repentance, we experience again peace with God.

Then we are free.  Free to do what we ought.

Lord, show me when I've departed your ways in favor of mine.  And grace me with your loving voice of conviction, so I may change course and walk your paths again.

Where freedom lives ...

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”  2 Corinthians 3:17

Through his letter to the Corinthians, Paul explained to all people and for all time that, until Jesus lives in us, we exist as though a veil stands between us and God.  Hid from his glory, our minds are “made dull” and we do not know him.  We relate to him only in the “Biblical legalese” of what we should and should not do.  We are, on one hand, consumed with earning our own righteousness through his Law and, on the other hand, frustrated by a down-deep knowledge that we cannot attain it, no matter how hard we try.

In Christ, however, the veil is taken away.  Our spirits see his glory and live!  We are free!  Liberated!  The torn veil lies in a wadded heap behind us, and the glory of the God of liberty shines upon us!

So we ask, “From what have we been set free?” And “To what ends do we live in freedom?”

Alive in Christ, and completely forgiven in him, we are ...

... free from belittling others in vain attempts to elevate ourselves by comparison, and
           free to see them as people just like us, fellow sojourners in need of grace.
... free from enslavement to the cycle of retaliation, and
           free to respond in peace and grace to those who offend us.
... free from conforming to the expectations of others in search of their conditional approval, and
           free simply to be who the God who first loved us created us to be.
... free from reigning over the petty fiefdoms of our own imaginations, and
           free to thrive as servants under the kingship of Him who wields all power in perfect love.
... free from envy over what we do not have, and
           free to celebrate with others the good gifts God distributes as he pleases.
... free from Satan’s harsh accusations of fault, and
           free to trust in the Spirit's love as he sculpts us into Jesus’ likeness.
... free from uncertainty of our salvation, and
           free to share with others our sure and certain hope of eternal life in Christ.
... free from treasuring “things” that we will one day leave behind, and
           free to build up treasures that are ours when we rise in him.
... free from the futility of endeavors of temporary consequence, and
           free to live lives of love and truth, bearing fruit of eternal value.
... free from wandering directionless paths of our own making, and
           free to follow in faith and obedience as Jesus illumines our way.
... free from the foolishness of our will, and
           free to say in complete confidence, “Thy will be done.”

Our freedom has purpose: to give God the glory that is his, and to love others in what we think, say and do.

Question to think about:  How have you experienced liberty in “the Spirit of the Lord”?

Growing up in liberty

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.  When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.  1 Corinthians 13:11

Somewhere along the way, I began to picture parenting as a figurative rope that we slacken over time.  When our children choose selfish or disrespectful ways, we pull them closer, exerting our authority and guiding them toward wiser paths.  And as their behavior matures, we loosen our grip and watch them flourish in newly found dimensions of freedom.  While there are times of tightening our grip or even pulling back, overall, parenting is a process of recognizing maturity and celebrating it with liberty.

When we are born of the Spirit, we begin new growth, much like children.  It is a steady process of walking away from our sin nature and its preoccupation with self, sojourning ahead in our new nature, which is Christ in us.  As Paul tells the church in Corinth, spiritual immaturity looks a lot like envy, boasting, pride, rudeness, self-centeredness, and unforgiveness (see 1 Corinthians 13).  These are the ways of our "childish" sin nature, which can never be anything more than these.

But God calls us to grow up in our new nature, which is Christ living in us.  And what does this maturity in him look like?

Knowing the peace of our salvation, we leave behind useless attempts at self-righteousness and trust completely in the sufficiency of Christ, who is our life.

Knowing eternal life for us has already begun, we rest in the hope of Christ who creates new "today's" forever.

Knowing forgiveness and newness of life, we mature in the love of Christ and celebrate him in the liberty that is ours in him.

Spiritual maturity looks a lot like faith, hope and love.  And the greatest of these is love.