There Are Still Hostages to Be Freed 

As I write this, many of us are celebrating the release of Israeli hostages after a two-year ordeal. Over the course of that period of time, it may have been easy for some of us to go about our lives as usual with limited thought given to the situation of those people. We might have seen occasional reminders on news programs, but for the most part their predicament was not at the forefront of our minds. We were aware of what was going on in that part of the world, felt compassion for those involved, mentioned it in our prayers at times, but it probably wasn’t one of the greatest daily concerns on our hearts.

That wasn’t the case with others, especially the family and friends of those hostages. The status of the captives was something they were continually concerned about. It was a constant burden they carried with them. And many of them were actively interceding before government leaders, participating in rallies, publicly holding up signs or initiating interviews to remind the world of what was going on, and otherwise working to secure the release of their loved ones. It wasn’t just an unfortunate news story to them – it was personal. Even people who weren’t family took up the mantle and shared that deep concern. And now their tremendous sorrow has turned to great joy as they see these hostages released.

It reminds me of the fact that there are many others in our world being held in captivity today. I am not thinking about those who are physically imprisoned in some way, although we should not forget about them either. I am referring to many all around us who are suffering in captivity to sin, who have been taken hostage by Satan, and who may be so blinded that they aren’t even aware of their situation. We have all been there. Some of us have experienced being set free from our imprisonment through faith in Jesus. However, let’s not forget about those who are still being held hostage.

It can be easy to get so wrapped up in the busyness of our lives, even in doing good things and church activities, that we lose sight of the people around us who are still in bondage. We may know in our heads that they are there but do we carry their predicament in our hearts? Are we regularly intervening on their behalf before God? Are we doing whatever we can to seek their freedom?

Setting such captives free was a big part of Jesus’ mission. When He was beginning His public ministry, He applied a scripture from the book of Isaiah to Himself, saying, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed” (Luke 4:18). Jesus came to set the captives free, and that is also part of our mission as His followers.

Do we have the same mindset as the Apostle Paul had for his fellows Jews who were being held in spiritual captivity? He expressed his deep concern for them in these words: “I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart…My heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved” (Romans 9:2; 10:1). Can we say something similar about our family, friends, and others who aren’t experiencing freedom in Christ? It shouldn’t just be an occasional thought that pops into our head, but rather a burden and prayer we continually are carrying with us.

Let’s not forget the spiritual hostages. Make it personal. Let’s be doing all we can to seek their release.