Chicken Bones And Circumcision

Galatians 5:1 (NLT) —

‘So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.’

Our family had a retired greyhound. She lived quite the life: she was a racer who got injured, so escaped and spent a year on the streets. She moved in with us when she was five, and from then on, she had plenty of food, a bed and even a knitted snood to keep her neck warm … everything a greyhound needed. However, on her evening walk she would forget all this. She scavenged for the most disgusting food the streets of Birmingham had to offer, a particular favourite being soggy chips and old chicken bones.

She was fed and happy at home, but out in the world she would forget. She got caught up in old ways of thinking and habits, becoming obsessed by things that she didn’t need to be.

The people of Galatia are in a (loosely) similar habit. The fruit-of-the-Spirit-chapter begins with a lot of chat about circumcision. The people Paul is writing to are obsessed with it - so much so that Paul issues the harsh words: 'Why don’t these agitators, obsessive as they are about circumcision, go all the way and castrate themselves!' (5:12, The Message). Ouch!

Paul is frustrated, simply because he is desperate to see people free in Christ. In Jesus, they have all the freedom they need (think greyhound in a snood) but instead they’re obsessed with things that don’t matter. They’re free, but not staying free. Paul is frustrated by the lies and frustrated that people aren’t living in freedom.

We all have our own 'chicken bones' and 'circumcision' …  the stuff we get caught up in, the lies we believe, the truth we ignore, and the stuff we focus on instead of freedom.

We can often forget to live showing we know that Jesus really, truly has set us free.

Reflect— What’s your chicken bone / circumcision? Repent of where it’s got in your way and ask Jesus to help you live knowing you are truly free.