September 8, 2006
*Part three of a tale that illustrates spiritual bondage as well as the freedom and healing that can be found in Jesus Christ.
When the slave masters finally tired of Anne’s torture, they left her, broken, bruised, and bloodied. She lay silently on the ground and for an unbearably long time, Abigail thought that she was dead. Abigail writhed in anguish not least because of her guilt in Anne’s suffering. “Oh, Anne,” she whispered over and over again. “Oh, Anne, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” She crawled to where Anne lay, and touched her bruised and swollen face. Anne didn’t move but her chest moved slightly with the intake of a breath. Abigail choked back a sob, and a spark of hope flared suddenly within her.
“Anne! Anne!” she called to her friend. Anne’s eyes opened and then, after a moment of trying to focus in the very dim light, rested her gaze upon Abigail’s face. She smiled faintly and mouthed the words, “Thank you.” Her eyes closed again and she slipped into unconsciousness. Even though Abigail did her best to nurse her back to health, it took Anne several days to be able to sit up or even lift her head. Each night, after working the daylight away for the slave masters, Abigail would return from her labors to give her meager crust of bread to her friend as well as most of her daily allowance of water. She vainly hoped that her sacrifices and her loving care for Anne could somehow erase her crime… or somehow make up for the suffering that she had caused her friend. But the guilt was still there. Neither could the condemnation she now bore like the iron chains on her wrists, feet, and throat be undone by her good deeds.
Even though Anne’s strength grew daily, the guilt for poor Abigail was becoming unbearable. She dreaded returning to their shed each night for in seeing her friend’s face, she was reminded anew of her terrible betrayal. One night, after more than a week had passed and aware that Anne would soon be joining her again in their work, Abigail lingered near some of the other workers who made it a habit to indulge in Mohjac’s wine at night. Her brother, Narryl, noticed her, but except for a scowl that he shot her way, ignored her completely. A friend of his, however, also noticed her. He grabbed a flask of the vile drink and approached her. She looked up at his face and saw him smile at her… or was he mocking her? She wasn’t sure, but when he offered her the drink, all she could think in that moment was how much she hurt. She took the flask from his hand and put it to her lips. She paused a moment, feeling that she was about to open a door that once opened could never be shut again. She thought of her pain again and of the guilt that she bore … and then she drank. As she did, the sound of furious fluttering burst out from a nearby tree’s branches and a large dark bird flew into the deepening night.
For Abigail, the wine tasted sweet, almost sickeningly sweet, and she nearly retched. But the drink trickled down her throat and into her being. Her eyes swam but then things began to seem brighter and the pain in her gut seemed less intense. Even as she felt the effects of the drink run through her, she knew that the pain was still there… that it hadn’t been cured or healed, but seemed to somehow be covered with a veneer of contentment. She laughed and looked up at the man who had given her the drink. Suddenly he seemed the kindest person that she had ever met. She took another sip of the drink and he then laughed; only his laugh was one of a wicked delight in seeing Abigail’s past resolve to never touch the drink crumble away. She was oblivious to his amusement and failed to perceive it even when he roughly grabbed his flask from her hands and walked off.
She turned towards home… laughing at her former convictions and relishing the numbness in her soul that thoroughly masked her pain. When she stepped inside the hut, Anne was waiting, smiling and rejoicing to see her friend. She limped painfully to Abigail’s side and grasped her arm. “Abigail! I’m so glad you’re here!” Abigail didn’t reply but the numbness that covered her hurt rose up and also infected her heart. “Yes, I’m here,” she answered coldly. Anne took no notice of the other girl’s coolness and began to breathlessly talk.
“I’ve seen a wonderful thing, Abigail. You have to hear it! I was sitting by the door thinking of how horrible it must be for you to go alone out into the work of each day by yourself. As I sat there, I saw a Stranger walking among the eastern trees. He was dressed in a white robe and wore a fine felt traced with gold all about it. From his belt there was a long sword and from his face a light shone! I hid around the corner of the door so that he couldn’t see me but I watched as he came closer until he stopped by Farrin who was beaten terribly last night. Farrin had been left in the mud across from us. He was… um… too weak to go back inside his hut… I, uh, wanted to go and help him but I... was afraid.” Anne looked down for a moment sorrowfully… a haunted look passed over her face. But she looked up again quickly. “Abigail, the Stranger came and stood by Farrin’s side. He knelt down, lifted poor Farrin’s head, and gave him a drink of something that wasn’t at all like Mohjac’s drink… it was clear and….”
“What?” asked Abigail sharply. “How could you tell what it looked like?” Anne seemed confused at her friend’s tone, but replied slowly, “Because the stranger also used it to bathe Farrin’s wounds. Oh, he was so gentle with Farrin. And Abigail! Farrin’s strength came back! All his bruises faded. The Stranger stood up and drew his sword. I was afraid for Farrin and started to cry out. But it was too late. The sword swung down, only it cut the chains from around Farrin’s hands, feet, and neck. Then Farrin stood up also and embraced him! The Stranger wrapped a new robe about his shoulders and placed what look like royal rings upon his fingers.”
Abigail struggled to absorb what Anne was saying but it so difficult to think clearly with that wine running through her veins. “I don’t understand.” She put a trembling hand to her head and closed her eyes. But Anne laughed happily. “Don’t you see?” she cried. “The Stranger brought freedom to Farrin! Maybe he can also bring freedom to us!”
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“When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. So what advantage did you then get from the things of which you now are ashamed? The end of those things is death. But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:21-23 RSV).
To be continued…
(Thom Mollohan and his family have ministered in southern Ohio the past eleven years. He is the pastor of Pathway Community Church, which meets on Sunday mornings at the Ariel Theatre. He may be reached for comments or questions by email at pastorthom@pathwaygallipolis.com).
