Jn 8:31-42
Although many people are familiar with the expression, “the truth will set you free,” everyone seems to have different interpretations of what type of freedom lies behind this truth. Unfortunately, our society has turned freedom into the ability to abandon all morals and do whatever you please without having to face any consequences. This “freedom”, however, only serves to make people slaves to their own passions. In this Gospel from John, Jesus tells his followers that true freedom can only come from God, who, through the Holy Spirit can guide us to open our hearts to God’s word and experience freedom from the power of the sin. During this season of Lent, we must work on opening our hearts to Jesus in order to discover true freedom from the sins that can test us and pull us away from Christ.
In this Gospel, Jesus also reminds of why He came to us and who sent Him. Jesus came to do the will of His Heavenly Father, and his obedience to the Father led him to open his arms on the cross. Jesus was in full submission to God’s plan for him, and was rewarded with victory over sin, death, and Satan. We can look to Jesus as the ultimate example of the freedom from sin that comes from doing the Father’s will. This Lenten season we are challenged to give obedience to God’s word and His will and in return we will experience the freedom behind the truth that God is our one true guide in life.