The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,
for the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted
and to proclaim that captives will be released
and prisoners will be freed.
He has sent me to tell those who mourn
that the time of the Lord’s favour has come,
(Isaiah 61:1-2 NLT)
In one sense, the idea of prisoners being freed sounds appalling.
After all, there is a good reason why they are in prison. It usually has something to do with them breaking the law. Who would want a lawbreaker released from prison? Consider the stigma we still attach to what are referred to as “ex-offenders”. As long as they have a criminal record, we will not let it go. As long as the conviction is there, we will judge them and make sure they know they might as well have stayed in prison. As long as they have been found guilty, they might as well live with the guilt and shame for as long as they are alive. This is why, for those who have been charged and sentenced, even if they complete their scheduled prison time, those bars will be constantly with them, as far as some of us are concerned.
If we extend that, though, some of us should be able to see why the idea of prisoners being freed is a very good thing indeed. We’re reminded of that famous episode in scripture where they found the woman caught in adultery and Jesus agreed that the Law of Moses should be observed as long as the one without sin cast the first stone. Noticing that no one condemned her, Jesus, who could have thrown a stone at her, joined those who did not do so. That is to say, the judge who could have condemned her chose to release her. The one who could have rightly pointed out that her sin should have deserved the full weight of the law chose to extend mercy and grace to her and freed her. Not only freed her but also gave her the chance to live up to the requirements of the very law she broke.
Jesus is still very much about justice. Jesus is very much about righteousness. Indeed, in Christ, the standard of holiness that God seeks is revealed for what it is in a way never experienced by people before. People had never seen the human embodiment of the law observed. All they saw were those who would in some way break the law and deserve punishment and imprisonment. Jesus, though, was here to take on all the lawbreaking on Himself so that those who broke the law could be free. Set free from being shackled and heavily burdened by sin, guilt and shame. Set free to live the life that God had intended from the beginning – one full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Set free to live full of the Spirit of God, because whoever the Son sets free is free indeed.
There will still be those who do not like the idea of prisoners being set free. They will still act in a way that suggests the prisoner should stay in prison. There are, however, those who have embraced the amazing love of God, as seen in the forgiveness of sins. These people are so overwhelmed by what it is to be forgiven of so much that they are desirous for others to be set free from the chains of both physical and mental imprisonment. It’s not an issue to forgive; it’s an opportunity to share that which has been shared with them.
In light of Jesus’ service to free the prisoners, the challenge for those who follow Jesus is to reflect this in our own actions. How do we look for prisoners to be freed today? How do we follow the leading of the Spirit to interact with those who are prisoners and see them experience the freedom Christ offers?
For His Name’s Sake
C. L. J. Dryden
Shalom
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