The Word & The West: The Messiah & The Messy Truth About Liberty

Ben Franklin wanted the parting of the Red Sea to be the central image in the great seal of the United States! That's how powerfully the story of the Exodus played out in the minds of the men who proclaimed independence for the emerging nation. The Liberty Bell is engraved with Leviticus 25:10, a text that proclaimed liberty and the Year of Jubilee for captive men and women. The circular ceiling above the US House of Representatives is lined with marble profiles of the greatest lawgivers in history. Front and center over the Speaker's seat is the face of Moses, eyes forward unlike all the others, and gazing across the room.

The Heavenly Idea of Liberty

Naive, uneducated college students and celebrities behave as though freedom is a universal human trait rudely opposed by the Church. On the contrary, slavery is universal, present throughout the history of the world and in dozens of nations today. By contrast, human liberty was unimaginable for most of the world's history, and even today only twenty-four nations can be called true democracies! Those few can give thanks to Jesus Christ and the Word of God.

When the Lord returned home to Nazareth and spoke of himself as the Messiah, he quoted Isaiah 61. "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound." (ESV) Then he proclaimed "The year of the Lord's favor," (1:2) the twice-a-century Year of Jubilee when slaves had to be set free. In him, that "year" would be fulfilled permanently.

At that moment, the Roman Empire ruled with an iron fist. The Jewish leaders piled rules upon laws, and the regional king, Herod, also held the power to issue decrees and condemn unlucky citizens. Like everyone else throughout the world, the Jews were all too familiar with ruthless government, unhinged tribalism, and spying neighbors. They knew nothing about civil rights, personal sovereignty, or freedom of speech. Jesus was called an extremist and a firebrand because he introduced those shocking, radical ideas.

He informed an occupied nation that they didn't owe everything to Caesar; only those assets the emperor controlled. He dared to assert the Roman governor had no real power over him, even as he was on trial for his life (John 19:11.) As the gospel spread to the big cities, multitudes of women and slaves were quick to confess the Messiah. It was apparent to all that he carried freedom in his wings.

A Book of Dangerous Ideas

Did you know that British slavers produced a translation of the Bible for slaves working on sugar plantations in the Caribbean? They hoped the Good Book would domesticate and civilize their enslaved workers, but they didn't want Moses or Jesus to give those laborers any radical ideas. They printed what you might call a Reader's Digest version of the Bible, reducing it from 66 books to just 14! The plan failed of course, because even a "neutered" Bible had enough truth to set people free.

Slave owners in the American South took a different tack, allowing slaves to preach and teach the Gospel in hopes it would suppress violence, and inspire greater diligence at work. Historians tell us those lessons from the Bible fueled a passion for human liberty. Jesus had insisted we should not fear people who can do nothing more than kill us! (Matthew 10:28)

The Bible is not anti-government. First-century saints were taught to respect the emperor, even Nero until his demands defied their conscience. Peter explained that government has a legitimate place in life (1 Peter 2:14,) but it's not the place of God. We must always guard our freedoms from a government promising to give us everything we need. That kind of government will always grow big enough to take everything we have.

Be on the lookout for opportunities to talk about the positive impact of Jesus Christ on our nation, even as Americans are free to worship any god or none at all. The next time a co-worker raises the subject of civil rights or freedom, smile and ask if they know where our founders came up with that idea. Not a sermon, just a thought.

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