...and the truth will set you free - Wednesday, April 13th

Readings of the Day

Gospel: John 8: 31-42
Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him, “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How can you say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus answered them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. A slave does not remain in a household forever, but a son always remains.  So if the Son frees you, then you will truly be free. I know that you are descendants of Abraham. But you are trying to kill me, because my word has no room among you.  I tell you what I have seen in the Father’s presence; then do what you have heard from the Father.” They answered and said to him, “Our father is Abraham.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works of Abraham. But now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God; Abraham did not do this. You are doing the works of your father!”
So they said to him, “We were not born of fornication.  We have one Father, God.” Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and am here; I did not come on my own, but he sent me.”

• remain: to stay in the same place or with the same person or group; to continue unchanged.
• Am I consistent in my prayer and good resolutions?  Do I realize that to "remain in God's word, and be Christ's disciple" a daily effort is needed - contact with the Word and personal contact with Christ?
• truth: the body of true statements and propositions; the property of a statement of being in accord with fact or reality; honesty, integrity.
• Where do I find the truth?  Christ proposes that knowledge of truth isn't just intellectual, but active - saying that when we are his disciples we will know the truth.  How do I live truth?
• free: enjoying freedom from outside domination; not subject to the control of another; not bound, confined or detained by force; a person who is not in slavery; able to do something at will.
• In what areas of my life am I free?  In what areas am I enslaved?  How can truth and discipleship and contact with God's Word/teaching release me from this domination?

Definitions from http://www.merriman-webster.com/ and http://www.dictionary.com/.