Freedom road

 Jesus said to him, ‘If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ When the young man heard this word, he went away grieving, for he had many possessions. (Matthew 19:21-22)

Freedom road

Start talking about demon possession and your friends will quickly remember an errand they need to run. Truth is, human beings are regularly possessed by all kinds of spirits: Greed, sloth, lust, anger, regret, vanity, gluttony, pride … not to mention spirits available in various bottles at your local grocery.

Large parts of modern economies are dependent on keeping us addicted, which is to say possessed by all kinds of things that distract us from the deep crying need at the center of our being.

Our hearts ache for something more, something we cannot name, and in rushes a host of products, activities, distractions and relationships of all kinds that that promise to still the ache, fill the emptiness and satisfy the heart.

And when one thing doesn’t work we may try another, avoiding the nagging truth engraved in our being that tells us we are made for something more.

This explains the downcast face of the rich young man who comes to Jesus … and it explains a great deal of our sadness, too. We give our hearts to that which does not satisfy the heart.

The rich man owned nothing because he was possessed by everything he imagined belonged to him. Unable to open his hands and heart, he could not receive the one thing for which his heart cried, the Love that satisfies.

He went away sad, but equally sad was Jesus who wills our freedom, freedom that comes only when we quit chasing and grasping our own private cures for what ails us, and let his Love fill us. It’s the road to freedom.

Pr. David L. Miller