There was a Jewish boy who grew up in Germany many years ago. This boy deeply admired his father. His father led the family to their Jewish Synagogue faithfully and the boy grew up with strong Jewish values and beliefs.
In his teen years his family was forced to move to another town in Germany where there was no Synagogue; only a Lutheran church- the life of the community. The Lutheran church was the gathering place for all of the town’s important businessmen. Wanting to be well-connected in business, his father made the family abandon their Jewish traditions and join the Lutheran church. The boy was deeply wounded and confused by his Father.
The boy’s broken heart distorted his view of reality and drove him away from God and religion and later led him to the British Museum in England where he compiled his new beliefs into a book. In that book he laid the foundation for a movement that would forever change the world. He described religion as the “opiate for the masses” and developed a world system of life without God. His ideas became the norm for governments of almost half the world’s people. His name was Karl Marx, founder of the Communist Movement.
The history of the world was forever darkened because of one Jewish boy’s broken heart.
Brokenness can distort reality. I doubt I am fully aware of how much my past experiences control my worldview today. I know there must be lies about myself I am unaware I am believing. What is it inside me that wants to hide my true self around certain people? Why do I feel I have to impress, perform, exaggerate stories, make people think I’m important? Have I believed the lie that I need their acceptance for validation?
I don’t want to live like that. I don’t want to be caged by a distorted reality built by bricks of wounds and lies I collect to where “these walls are all I know.” Christ said he came to heal and set us free (Luke 4:18). So I pray for healing and freedom. I pray God would restore those broken places in our lives and lead us to become who he created us to be.
There was another Jewish boy who grew up with strong Jewish values and beliefs who would also forever change the world. His name was Isaiah (meaning “The Lord Saves”). He penned the words that Christ would later quote at the outset of his public ministry:
“God has sent me to heal the brokenhearted and set the captives free.”