Independence Day vs. Self-Denial

In the past few weeks, I have poured over issues of the self. I watched documentaries, I read books, I analyzed ethical issues, pondered my own “self” and attempted to find some help from the Scriptures. Now keep in mind that I did not turn over every rock and every stone, but I think I have come to a few conclusions. Yes, as Americans, we have an almost narcissistic view of the self and our discussions of ethics and politics often center on individual rights, thoughts, feelings, ideologies, etc. And as American Christians, we are often no different, assuming that our status as members of a heavenly Kingdom gives us entitlement in various areas. And perhaps the most alarming way in which we argue for ourselves is saying that “we are free in Christ.”

Yesterday, the 4th of July, the United Methodist Church lectionary landed us on Luke 10 and Galatians 6:7-16. Now the passage in Luke concerned Jesus sending out the seventy with a harsh word about how to do “ministry.” The seventy are told to take nothing with them on their journey and to rely on other people to provide for their basic needs. Jesus said that “the laborer” or those sent out “deserved to be paid” for their efforts but his instructions implied that the disciples would both be rejected by some (perhaps those they would expect to provide for them) and accepted and provided for by others (perhaps those they would not expect to provide for them). It demands a roller coaster experience for the ego of being rejected and received (even for our basic needs).

The Galatians passage seemed to give much comfort to those who would easily “become weary in doing good.” I can only imagine that the discipleship roller coaster would bring about such a feeling that could lead to despair and giving up of doing, practicing and being good. But Paul says to the Galatians to not grow weary because there is a real time where the fruit of our labors will appear. And that seems to assume that those who reaped bad things will eventually get their due as well. I wondered what provoked Paul’s words here and I was also struck by the appearance of the word “freedom” throughout the letter—a popular word to notice on Independence Day. When I scrolled backwards from my place in the lectionary passage, I came across Galatians 5:13, which read very differently to me than it had before.

"For you were called to freedom, brethern; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another"

It seems that “our freedom” is not something that is really meant for ourselves, but it is supposed to be oriented toward another. I think this is an extremely foreign concept for American Christians given the suppositions that I highlighted above. It causes one to pause and think, “you mean, I’m not free for myself?” Or perhaps it makes us respond by saying, “I thought we were freed from the law by grace so that we would not have to do things anymore?” I think the answer is a definite “yes” with Paul when he says “It was for freedom that Christ set us free” (Gal 5:1a) but our freedom may not look how we want it to be. I think part of what we forget is that Christ is coming to set us free from ourselves. Our freedom, according to Galatians 5:13 is opposed to the self, the flesh or the old sin-nature which was a preoccupation of self.