The Slavery Epidemic

In today’s Gospel from the Mass (John 8:31-42), Jesus speaks about the slavery epidemic, an epidemic that is still running rampant today:

[31] Jesus then said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, [32] and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”  [33] They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham, and have never been in bondage to any one. How is it that you say, `You will be made free’?”  [34] Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, every one who commits sin is a slave to sin. [35] The slave does not continue in the house for ever; the son continues for ever.  [36] So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.  [37] I know that you are descendants of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me, because my word finds no place in you.  [38] I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”  [39]They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do what Abraham did,
[40] but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth which I heard from God; this is not what Abraham did. [41] You do what your father did.” They said to him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.”[42] Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I proceeded and came forth from God; I came not of my own accord, but he sent me.

Jesus seeks to teach the Jews the Truth, but they are  blind to Truth, for they are slaves to sin.  Consider:

• Jesus is speaking to Jews who believe in Him; but even though they say they believe they are blind. They don’t realize 1) Who Jesus is, 2) Who they are and 3) that they are in bondage to sin.
• Jesus, knowing their ignorance, attempts to help them understand, telling them that they need to realize the Truth about God and that the Father has sent Jesus to free them from their slavery to sin.
• Claiming to be children of Abraham, their arrogance blinds them to the Truth, the Truth who is standing right in front of them.
• It is this blindness and their slavery to Original Sin, that leads them to seek to kill Jesus.

Today, there are many, like the Jews in the Gospel, who claim to believe in Jesus.  And yet, in the name of misplaced compassion and outright selfishness, they deny the Truth and seek to kill Jesus.

Jesus is not only Truth, but Life ( John 14:6).  One can not love Jesus Christ and seek to kill His Creation through abortion.  One can not love Jesus Christ and seek to overturn God’s loving plan of marriage between and man and a women for the raising of children.  One can not love Jesus and deny the gift of children through contraceptive (meaning, literally, “against life”).  One can not say they are for “Truth” and be against life.

All these sins, which are so apparent in society today, underscore that many are slaves to sin.

Pray that all people turn from sin towards the Truth that will make them free.