Reflection on Jn 8:34-36
“Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.
And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.
Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.’”
In chapter eight, the scribes and Pharisees brought to Jesus a woman caught in adultery and asked a hypocritical question with the intention of compromising Him. Jesus said to them: “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” And then He said to the woman: “Go and sin no more!” (v.11) Jesus says about Himself: “I am the light of the world.” (v.12) He speaks about His divine nature and about His heavenly Father (v.18-19).
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him: “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (v.31)
The Jews slandered Jesus, saying that He had a demon (vv. 48 and 52). And when Jesus said, “Before Abraham was, I AM”, they took up stones to throw at Him (v.57-59). They were well aware that saying this, He openly declared His divine nature and communion with the Father (Jn 10:30-31).
In this chapter, Jesus says words which we are going to repeat and actualize for two weeks: “Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.’”
Here Jesus emphasizes an important truth with the words: “Truly, truly, I say to you…” He speaks about slavery. There is physical slavery and spiritual or mental slavery. One can be a physical slave and yet free of sin, and on the other hand, one can decide about life and death and yet be a slave of sin. There are light sins which we commit in daily life but there are also sins which make man a slave. Many people are slaves of alcohol, drugs or various forms of impurity. Slaves of pride, hatred, revenge, thievery, cynicism. Slaves cannot make themselves free. Jesus gives us true freedom: “If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”
In the Letter to the Galatians we read: “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” (Gal 5:1)
The core of sin is the wounded human nature, the loss of the original holiness of the first people. We all are born in sin. We inherit this infection from the first man. Only Christ can make us free of sin. Whoever abides in Christ does not sin. It is not enough to abide in Him passively. In time of trial, we need to enter into His presence actively, so that we may abide in Christ and His word (v.31). We need to unite our will to the will of God, that means to God Himself, and then His power works in us. The question of sin is the question of the will. Our will is weak and our reason obscured, hardly seeing the truth and easily believing in lies. And the human heart is ruled by disordered passions – anger, envy, impurity… If Jesus makes us free, we shall be free indeed.
The response to these Jesus’ words was that the Jews who believed Him sought to kill Him. “You seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.” (v.37) Jesus paid for all our sins on the cross. His Blood cleanses us from all sin. If we want to become His true disciples like the apostles, we have to love Him truly – that means, to be ready to lose our soul and our life for His sake and the Gospel’s (Mk 8:35). If this pure love for Christ abides in us, it unites us to Him and Jesus delivers us from the slavery of sin (Jn 8:36). We receive this faith and pure love above all in prayer when we receive His words into our life. In prayer, we accept inwardly whatever time and manner of our death, according to the will of God.
The mystery of freedom, the mystery of our love for God and Christ abiding in our soul is connected with obedience to God and His word. Jesus said that not a hearer of the word but a doer will be saved. Jesus calls him His brother and sister, and even mother because such a one gives birth to Jesus spiritually in the souls of those who do not have Him (Lk 8:21).
Jesus delivers us not only from sins but also from the root of sin, i.e. from our corrupt nature. This can be done by Jesus alone. “If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” The condition is to believe in Him and to lose our soul for His sake and the Gospel’s or, in other words, to renounce our will and to seek and do God’s will. This requires humility and self-denial.
Download: Reflection on Jn 8:34-36
