Barbara Mackle and her mother had settled into their comfortable hotel room in Atlanta in December 1968. They’d been out on a long day of Christmas shopping. Barbara was the 20-year-old daughter of a wealthy Miami industrialist.
After saying, “Good night, Mom,” there was a knock. “Who is it?”
“Maintenance, Ma’am. We received a report about a water leak.” Opening the door, two people rushed into the darkened room. These people weren’t hotel employees! Both Mrs. Mackle and Barbara were bound and gagged by the intruders. Barbara was kidnapped!
The kidnappers later stopped and then lowered their victim into a small metal box. Barbara feared it might be her tomb as she was buried!
By what are you confined? To whom will you one day call for your freedom?
Jesus was always helping people who were confined by life. He said, ”Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you“ (Matthew 7:7). Are you searching for freedom from your confinement?
Often the people Jesus helped needed to be made aware of what was holding them back. Their prejudice confined some. Jesus said, “Do not judge so you will not be judged.
”For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.
”Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
”You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye“ (Matthew 7:15).
It isn’t about making a judgment call. It’s about judging against another when you have the same problem -- but worse!
You’ve likely heard of the Golden Rule (Matthew7:12). It’s about recognizing your need to change and to treat people kindly.
Jesus healed people of visible, obvious problems (John 5:1-15), but He speaks of their greater need: forgiveness of sins. Sins confine everyone! (Romans 3:23; 6:23).
Then there’s another incident. In John 8, a woman’s accusers all walk away, and Jesus tells her, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, now, and leave your life of sin.”
The greatest need anyone has is the need to be free from sin! You can never be too low for God to set you free from your confinement to sins. “Now, God commands every person in the world to change his heart” (Acts 17:30). “So, change your hearts! Come back to God, so that He may wipe out your sins!” (Acts 3:19). “God wants every person to be saved and to begin understanding the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4).