In the second movie they end up in Africa (while trying
to get back to the zoo) and have a fun adventure in Africa. They all see where they came from originally and
have a little more self-discovery, but they still really just want to get back
to New York City…to the zoo where they know what to expect, back to comfort. It’s the same theme in the third movie, of
course. They go all over Europe with a
circus, put on a circus wig, sing a goofy “circus afro” song, and in the end, finally
make it back to the zoo…only to find that they really weren’t happy there at
all. They were captives. They didn’t know freedom. Sure, there was comfort, and they knew what
would happen every day – but they weren’t really free. It’s what Marty the Zebra wanted in the very
first movie…freedom. By the time they’ve
finally made it back to the zoo three movies later, they’ve all known real freedom. When they finally get back to the familiar,
they discover that are eager to break away from that bondage and live in the
freedom that they’ve truly lived over the course of their adventures…
Now we’ll jump from Madagascar to the Gospel of
John. Chapter 8 to be specific: 31 To the Jews who had
believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the
truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They
answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of
anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” 34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son
belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free,
you will be free indeed.
Free indeed? Ooh, I like that. And then again in Galatians 5:1 and 13-14:
1 It is for freedom that Christ has set
us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a
yoke of slavery. 13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But
do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another
humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command:
"Love your neighbor as yourself."
So, basically, to me it sounds we’re like the dumb, ol’
animals in Madagascar – on a side note, I think that I would be the witty zebra. We start off with the sinful nature given to
us by Adam…and we think that since we’re doing what we want to do however we
want to do it, then we must be free.
Then we hear the message of the Gospel, and we decide to follow
Jesus. But then we start hearing that
nagging little devil on our shoulder…and that guy is going to town telling you,
“just look at all these RULES! Boy, this
Jesus stuff is cramping your style…I mean, look at all these ‘thou shall nots’ and
remember how fun it was back when we shalled?”
And you start thinking that maybe that little guy is right. Because that life of sin is what was
comfortable…it’s what we knew…it’s where our friends are. And now they’re all going to say we’ve
changed, and we’re no fun. And if I go
to church, then those people at church will all judge me for the person I used
to be, and the stuff I did. And yeah,
maybe that little devil guy has a point about all these rules. I mean, I like to covet…being jealous over
someone else’s things makes me happy, right? (that was sarcasm) And I like talking about people behind their
backs – or on Facebook. (not so much
sarcasm in that one) So maybe I should leave this foreign land of Christianity
and go back to where I was when Jesus found me.
Don’t go back.
Find the true freedom that can be found in Christ. I mean, c’mon, did you really find yourself
happy being jealous over someone’s things.
Or hating someone for 25 years over something that never really mattered? Is that where you found your happiness? Was that joy?
No, that wasn’t joy – and you weren’t really free. No more than the animals in a zoo are
free. They’re alive, but there’s no
purpose. Even in the really fancy zoos,
they fix up the cages so that they look really nice – but it’s still in a
cage. It’s an illusion of freedom
designed to keep them happy while they’re locked in a box.
But to be free…to be really free…To borrow a line from an
old song, “Where all is peace and joy and love” is something we should strive
for. The freedom from hating
others. The freedom from worrying about
tomorrow. The freedom from eternal
destruction. And somewhere Mel Gibson’s
William Wallace is screaming FREEEEEDOMMMM!!!
Because it’s really the same speech he gave to his men in the
movie. You may live a long life, but
someday dying in your bed, reflecting on your life, you can decide if you were
really free. Or did a ruthless king
dictate your every move? Was your whole
life a game of deception trying to hide secrets from your wife, or your work,
or the tax man? Was your whole life a
shell game where the truth was hidden under a coconut shell, and you kept
slipping the truth around so your wife never discovered your lies? A shell game so the boss never put two and two
together and realized where the money went?
Do you want to spend your entire life in a neatly decorated cage…so that
you think you’re free, but basically still just locked in a box?
Or do you want to live free? The freedom of giving it all to God and saying,
“You are the Good Shepherd, and I shall not want. I trust you to lead me, and to carry me
through the storms.” Because those
“rules” that the little devil on your shoulder complains about – are easy
rules. Don’t murder? Don’t Steal?
Don’t Commit Adultery? Those are
easy – so why do we act like they’re not?
Oh yeah…because there’s always that first one. “No Other Gods Before Me”…that one always
trips us up. Money, Sports, Women,
Ourselves – lots of other gods try to sit where God should be. And it blocks our freedom because those other
gods cause us to have to break all the other rules. And if we’d just let God be God, and do our
role of following Him, then the rules, aren’t really even rules anymore. To borrow another movie line, They’re more
like guidelines than actual rules.
Because we never really have to deal with them if we’re following the
right Master. 1 Peter 2:16 says Live as free
people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s
slaves.
So Listen for the Whisper that tells you
not to chase the freedom you thought you used to have. That sort of freedom is like a fancy zoo
designed to give the illusion of freedom…leading to an empty and pointless
existence. I heard a line in a movie
recently, “that’s not living, that’s just not dying.” Live for the true Freedom given through Jesus
Christ. The Freedom that a parent offers
to a child…the freedom to explore, and live happy, and share your joy with
others…the freedom where you know the rules, but since you know how to handle
freedom, the rules are a moot point. And
more than that, make sure you use your freedom the way the abolitionists used
theirs in the late 1800’s. Use your
freedom to help others achieve their own freedom. If it’s an encouragement they need, then give
it. If it’s a guiding light to help them
back to the path, then give it. If it’s
an underground railroad to help someone that’s stuck in slavery to sin to find
their way to your freedom, then give them that path. Reach out your hand…the way Jesus stretched
out His…and offer freedom to someone.
Tell them that the water is fine, come on in. And be sure to help them when they struggle with
their freedom.
It’s like the Stephen King Novella Rita
Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption where the character Red has trouble
adapting to life outside of his own cage. Many will truly struggle with the concept of
freedom. Like the animals in Madagascar,
they will seemingly always wish they were back where they were – because it’s
simpler, and they remember the happiness of familiarity there. Use the freedom you’ve been given to help
someone appreciate their freedom, and help them to understand the freedom they
have. Paul was absolutely right in Galatians,
For the entire law is fulfilled in
keeping this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." The trouble comes when we try to mix the
freedom we’re given with our old slave mentality. God’s not going to tell you what to do. He’s going to tell you what He expects from
you, and trust you to be able to handle it.
And if you see someone unsure of how to handle their freedom and do
nothing to help them, then you’re not doing a very good job of handling yours. For the
entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: "Love your neighbor
as yourself." Janis Joplin said
it this way: “Freedom’s just another word for ‘nothing left to lose’” – and if
you’ve given every part of your life to God, you have nothing left to
lose. Trust Him fully and know true freedom.
~Dwayne
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