Jan. 23 - Freeing the Prisoners

Greetings beloved,

We are still looking at chapter 4 of the Gospel of St. Luke where Christ continued to preach his sermon at a synagogue in Nazareth. We see in verse 18 that part of the prophecy of the Messiah dealt with prisoners.

Of course, those who were there in the synagogue knew people who were in jail. Some were friends and relatives. But the listeners were also prisoners of their own sins. Jesus said to them that God had sent the Messiah, "...to proclaim liberty to the captives..." (Luke 4:18).

Jesus as the Messiah had come to free both types of prisoners. Those who were being punished for crimes that they committed would have to pay their debt to society but could be reconciled to God. Those who accepted Jesus and followed His way of life in the kingdom of God wouldn't commit crimes. To those who were captive to their sin he offered freedom through forgiveness.

There are thousands of prisons around the world. almost everywhere the prison conditions are bad. Prisoners have great difficulty living in the prison environment. Christians have the responsibility to visit them and help them to experience the love and forgiveness of our Messiah. Remember what Jesus said, "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me" (Matthew 25:31-45). How active are you in prison ministry?

Pray with me... Lord help us to love one another as You have loved us, to forgive as you have forgiven. Including those persons who are in prison, whom we may not think deserve it. Help us to always remember that Christ died once for ALL, and that we have no right to say who can hear the Gospel or not. In Jesus' holy name. AMEN!

God's blessings to you all,
Fr. Ernest+