In Jesus day people were often put in prison because of their beliefs or opinions that challenged the secular authorities. How many of us at different times in our lives are in a “prison” because of our thinking? Maybe our prison is pride, thinking that the world revolves around us. Maybe our prison is about politics, where we find ourselves actually hating other people of the opposite philosophy. Maybe our prison revolves around a lack of faith where we either don’t know what to believe or feel bombarded by so much contradictory information. Maybe your prison is addiction, or some sin……..or things in our lives that we think will save us (idols: money, power, prestige). The list goes on and on, doesn’t it. Alas, maybe our prison is apathy where we simply don’t want to care but something inside tells us we need too.
Maybe we are in our own prison at different times in our lives. How often in life have you simply wanted to break free? There is an answer! As prisoners….we need the Good News!
Prisons are filled with people full of guilt, pain, apathy; people who feel chained down, uncomfortable and sometimes, powerless, like a caged animal. When we find ourselves in one of these “prisons”, we long for restoration…….. we long to feel fulfilled and to be set free. We simply long to be human beings again, important to God, indeed, important to Jesus.
Mark 1:14-15 (TNIV)
14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
As John the Baptist was imprisoned. Often we also find ourselves at times in our life……in prison. Jesus came with an answer, God is beside us in our struggles, God wants us to be restored and to be set free from the chains in our lives….the chains from our prison walls that hold us back and keep us down.
There is no problem, no sin that is too small for God to handle! The key is, are we willing to listen, to apply His wisdom and to follow. He wants us to come to Him, to ask for forgiveness and to be set free from our chains. God is with us, the kingdom has come! All we have to do ask seek and knock on the door……Jesus will answer and we can indeed enter into that kingdom! Jesus’ words were Good News because they are filled with promise, hope, peace of mind, goodness and love. Jesus’ words are filled with the promise of an eternal life, indeed an eternal walk with God, our creator. He can handle your problems too!
“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”….feel human again….climb your prison walls to freedom….break the chains that hold you down. Jesus is with you….simply ask God, seek His answers and apply them……. and knock on the door…..because it will be opened!
JESUS: “Knock, knock”
ME: “Who’s there?”
JESUS: “Water”
ME: “Water who?”
JESUS: “Actually it’s wine…..surprise!”
JESUS: “Knock, knock”
ME: “Who’s there?”
JESUS: “Babylon”
ME: “Babylon who?”
JESUS: “Quit your Babylon and come on in!”
ME: “Knock, knock”
JESUS: “Who’s there?”
ME: “Reverend”
JESUS: “Reverend who?”
ME: “Will these jokes reverend!”