the slave's story (4 of 4)

The author of the following story is a friend of mine who wishes to remain anonymous. The story sums up well the messages about freedom

Galatians 5:1
1It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. NIV
Christ has set us free to live a free life. MSG


Once upon a time there was a group of slaves. These slaves were born into slavery under a horrible slave master. All they had ever known was slavery. All their parents had ever known was slavery. One day there arose among them a rumor that the wealthiest and most influential man in the land had, at great cost to himself, purchased their freedom and given them an inheritance to live on. All they had to do was go to the gate of their slave master’s property and claim their card of freedom and inheritance under the wealthy land owner. The rumor was that the slave master knew they had been set free and couldn’t stop them if they chose to go claim their freedom.

Some dismissed this as a crazy fantasy – no wealthy person would take that much interest in one of them, much less pay the huge price to purchase freedom for all of them. Others treasured this as hope they had never imagined. This hope began to grow and flower in their hearts. Many of these, though hopeful, were terrified of the slave master and didn’t dare act on their hope. But a few ran with everything that was in them toward the gate to claim this most precious gift.

As the other slaves watched anxiously, these few approached the gate. At the gate, they saw them receive their new identification cards that marked them as free and inheritors of the wealthy land owner.

As the others saw this many more began to approach the gate to claim what they believed was now rightly theirs. They passed through the gate to freedom holding tightly to their cards and to their inheritance.

Now, on the other side of the gate stood the slave master and his paid workers. As the former slaves passed by, the slave master, a clever man, realized his opportunity. These slaves didn’t really know what freedom meant!

As they walked out his gates he began to lie to them. He whispered in their ears his version of the truth. “You don’t understand”, he told them. “Your freedom has been purchased, but you now have to prove that you are worthy of that freedom. After all, you are only a slave – and not a very good slave either. Only the best and most worthy can leave here. YOU don’t always do your best. YOU don’t act like a free person should act. YOU are not the productive member of society that you are required to be in order to leave here.”

One by one, the heads of the freed men dropped and their shoulders sagged under the burden of these statements, and one by one, the former slaves slowly turned and walked back thru the slave master’s gates – still clutching the papers that proclaimed them free.

The son of the wealthy landowner stood at the gate weeping.

He pleaded with those who passed by – “Your debt is paid. There is nothing left to be done.” But they sadly shook their heads, “I know who I am,” they each replied as they continued on their path.

Year after year, the son of the wealthy landowner continued to stand at the gate – calling to those inside, “Come out! You are free! Your debt is paid!”

In time, some of the former slaves became excellent slaves, successful in all that they did. The slave master never gave them their leave, but it is doubtful that they would have taken it, even if he had – they had become very proud of their achievements and comfortable in their success at being slaves.

But also in time, the words of the son of the wealthy landowner began to pierce the hearts of those working for the slave master. More and more, former slaves began throwing down their tools and striding purposefully towards the gates. The slave master would try to stop them with his clever lies, but the former slaves, realizing that they would never earn their freedom, fixed their eyes on the son of the wealthy landowner and proclaimed, “HE says I’m free,” and with that, passed through the gates into freedom.