A different version of this story was shared last night by Larry Martin at our church..the story was shared with Jesus being the one who bought the slave...(and He did with a great price)
He went to visit a slave auction one day and was appalled at the sights and sounds of buying and selling human beings. His heart was especially drawn to a young woman on the block whose story seemed to be told in her eyes. She looked with hatred and contempt on everyone around her. She had been used and abused all her life, and this time was but one more cruel humiliation. The bidding began, and Lincoln offered a bid. As other amounts were bid, he countered with larger amounts until he won. When he paid the auctioneer the money and took title to the young woman, she stared at him with vicious contempt. She asked him what he was going to do next with her, and he said, "I'm going to set you free."
"Free?" she asked. "Free for what?"
"Just free." Lincoln answered. "completely free."
"Free to do whatever I want to do?
"Yes," he said. "free to do whatever you want to do."
"Free to say whatever I want to say?"
"Yes, free to say whatever you want say."
"Free to go wherever I want to go?" she asked with skepticism. Lincoln answered, "you are free to go anywhere you want to go."
"Then I'm going with you!" she said with a smile.
Of course we can't be sure that such an encounter ever took place between Lincoln and any such slave girl. I suspect that the story is part of the process by which we make legends out of our leaders. Not an entirely negative process, for you see, we need some ideals to live by. In this particular story President Lincoln is given practically the status and standing of God.
For who but God could truly grant us the gift of our freedom -- not a freedom which ties us down to endless chores and duties and responsibilities. "For freedom God has set us free."
Scary, frightening, exhilarating and wonderful all at the same time. Like taking that leap out the open cockpit door of the airplane flying at several thousand feet above the earth... Like the little child running off to school for the very first day... Like the adolescent embarking upon that first serious romance... Like any of us charting the course of our lives without reference to any outside responsibility or obligation, which we are able to do in the final analysis, simply because, God has given us this great gift. And because no other can or shall ever be able to offer such a gift, we know, within our very heart of hearts, that if God is truly that gracious, we can only respond like the slave girl. "If you really and truly mean it when you say you're offering me my freedom, then I can choose none other; I'll be going with you!"
http://www.godweb.org/freedom.htm
This morning this arrived in my email (thank you Jim) and now I see how the events of my day are so incredibly lined up with invitation to clearly follow Him ...and no other, nor be blinded by circumstances to keep me from following Him.
Yes . . . But
A natural and understandable hesitancy accompanies any serious discussion of service. The hesitancy is prudent since it is wise to count the cost before plunging headlong into any serious service discipline. We experience a deep fear that comes out something like this: 'If I really do that, people will take advantage of me; they will certainly walk all over me.
'Right here we must see the difference between choosing to serve and choosing to be a servant. When we choose who and where and when and how we wish to serve (you can place the word 'love' here with the same effect.), we are still in charge. We carefully decide who we will serve and where we will serve and when we will serve and how we will serve, based on our own availability and convenience and mood, and when remaining in charge like this, we will naturally worry a great deal about fairness and whether anyone is going to overstep the rules and step on us, attempting to seize some of their own control of the situation.
But when we choose to be a servant, we voluntarily give up the right to be in charge. There is great (and quite often unexpected) freedom in this. If we voluntarily choose to be taken advantage of, then we cannot be bamboozled or manipulated. When we choose to be a servant, we surrender the right to decide who and where and when and how we will serve. We become available and vulnerable, possibly for the first time.
Consider the perspective of a slave. A slave sees all of life from the viewpoint of slavery. He does not see himself as possessing the same rights as free men and women. Please understand me, when this slavery is involuntary it is cruel and dehumanizing. But when the slavery is freely chosen, and for a powerfully liberating reason, everything is changed, for voluntary slavery to God's agenda is a great joy and brings total freedom." -- Richard J. Foster, in Celebration of Discipline
Well, there you have it, folks. This is a contrast that's easy to talk about, and slightly more difficult to truly live, so out into the fields I go to surrender my ego freedom for the purpose of gaining my spiritual (and true) freedom, to learn how to love and to serve solely (and soulfully) on His terms. _____ Jim Spivey
This has become my day by day choice. Every moment of every day is committed to be Christ's slave. It became so clear Who is on the inside of me and the need to look within myself for His guidance and His light and forsake all others, to be His slave (by my choice) and serve Him forever all the days of my life, to not be afraid of what I don't see or do see (as in circumstances) because 'He Who is in me is greater than he who is in the world'.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2216/1975335309_f6a8f19401_m.jpg
Video & Song
'You Came To My Rescue' Hillsong United
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAMbEPZfWCY
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