Sermon: June 29, 2025
Readings: Galatians 5:1,13-25 / Luke 9:51-62
In the reading from Galatians and our gospel reading, both Paul and Jesus speak about freedom, a concept that has captivated the minds of Americans ever since our nation’s founding. The 4th of July, Memorial Day, and Veterans Day are just a few of the days that are set aside for us to remember and celebrate the freedoms we have in the United States. However, our freedom isn’t only due to those who fought militarily for us, but our freedom is also due to those who fought for equal and civil rights for all.
In his book Long Walk to Freedom, Nelson Mandela writes, “To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” While the idea of freedom encompasses personal liberty and the ability to make choices, a fuller understanding reveals that true freedom is not self-indulgent but recognizes the obligation to ensure that all people have equal rights and liberties.
Otherwise, we reduce and distort the concept of freedom into something that is self-serving, without boundaries, and viewed as a license to act without regard for others. We cannot give ourselves permission to say whatever we want, especially if it’s not true or filled with hate for others and then claim it as our right and freedom. We cannot allow someone under the banner of freedom to act however they want, committing acts of bigotry, violence, and blatantly disregarding the life and liberty others especially the most vulnerable in our world. This is not freedom. It is a distortion of freedom.
As Mandela pointed out, the concept of freedom was never meant to be self-serving. We are all inherently interconnected. Our freedom is dependent upon our commitment to our fellow human beings, including the willingness to work and make sacrifices for the benefit of others. How can we celebrate freedom when others are being trampled on?
Paul highlights in his letter to the Galatians that we, as Children of God and disciples of Jesus Christ, have an obligation to one another to use our freedom in Christ to ensure others are also free. He writes, “For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
