The Jews valued freedom very highly. They were therefore disgusted when Jesus talked to them about freedom, for they claimed that they were descendants of Abraham and had never been enslaved. But Jesus was speaking of another form of slavery, one that has persisted through the ages up to our time – the slavery to sin. One who commits sin, and more particularly one who gets into the habit of sin, is literally a slave of sin, for he allows pride, greed, pleasure, or some other vice, to dominate his life.
How does one get out of this “slavery”? The key word in today’s reading is “discipleship.” Jesus said, “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.” Jesus is reassuring the Jews, and us, that we can get out of the slavery of sin by true discipleship — learning more and more about him, imbibing his words and living by them, striving to grasp the truth that will lead us to freedom: freedom from fear, from anxiety, from a remorseful conscience, from our own sinful self. There is no doubt that it is not an easy task. History has proven that the cost of freedom is high. But we can derive comfort from the words of Jesus, “You will suffer in the world, but take courage! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
