Galatians 5:1-12 (ESV)

Mark 15:33-41 (ESV)

The Death of Jesus

33 And when the sixth hour [1] had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. [2] 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 35 And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” 36 And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” 37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he [3] breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son [4] of God!”

40 There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. 41 When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.

Psalm 116 (ESV)

2 Samuel 20-21 (ESV)

The Rebellion of Sheba

20:1 Now there happened to be there a worthless man, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjaminite. And he blew the trumpet and said,

2 So all the men of Israel withdrew from David and followed Sheba the son of Bichri. But the men of Judah followed their king steadfastly from the Jordan to Jerusalem.

3 And David came to his house at Jerusalem. And the king took the ten concubines whom he had left to care for the house and put them in a house under guard and provided for them, but did not go in to them. So they were shut up until the day of their death, living as if in widowhood.

4 Then the king said to Amasa, “Call the men of Judah together to me within three days, and be here yourself.” 5 So Amasa went to summon Judah, but he delayed beyond the set time that had been appointed him. 6 And David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom. Take your lord’s servants and pursue him, lest he get himself to fortified cities and escape from us.” [1] 7 And there went out after him Joab’s men and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men. They went out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.8 When they were at the great stone that is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Now Joab was wearing a soldier’s garment, and over it was a belt with a sword in its sheath fastened on his thigh, and as he went forward it fell out. 9 And Joab said to Amasa, “Is it well with you, my brother?” And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. 10 But Amasa did not observe the sword that was in Joab’s hand. So Joab struck him with it in the stomach and spilled his entrails to the ground without striking a second blow, and he died.

Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri. 11 And one of Joab’s young men took his stand by Amasa and said, “Whoever favors Joab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab.” 12 And Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the highway. And anyone who came by, seeing him, stopped. And when the man saw that all the people stopped, he carried Amasa out of the highway into the field and threw a garment over him.13 When he was taken out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.

14 And Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel of Beth-maacah, [2] and all the Bichrites [3] assembled and followed him in. 15 And all the men who were with Joab came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-maacah. They cast up a mound against the city, and it stood against the rampart, and they were battering the wall to throw it down. 16 Then a wise woman called from the city, “Listen! Listen! Tell Joab, ‘Come here, that I may speak to you.’” 17 And he came near her, and the woman said, “Are you Joab?” He answered, “I am.” Then she said to him, “Listen to the words of your servant.” And he answered, “I am listening.” 18 Then she said, “They used to say in former times, ‘Let them but ask counsel at Abel,’ and so they settled a matter. 19 I am one of those who are peaceable and faithful in Israel. You seek to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why will you swallow up the heritage of the Lord?” 20 Joab answered, “Far be it from me, far be it, that I should swallow up or destroy! 21 That is not true. But a man of the hill country of Ephraim, called Sheba the son of Bichri, has lifted up his hand against King David. Give up him alone, and I will withdraw from the city.” And the woman said to Joab, “Behold, his head shall be thrown to you over the wall.” 22 Then the woman went to all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri and threw it out to Joab. So he blew the trumpet, and they dispersed from the city, every man to his home. And Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.

23 Now Joab was in command of all the army of Israel; and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was in command of the Cherethites and the Pelethites;24 and Adoram was in charge of the forced labor; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was the recorder; 25 and Sheva was secretary; and Zadok and Abiathar were priests; 26 and Ira the Jairite was also David’s priest.

David Avenges the Gibeonites

21:1 Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year. And David sought the face of the Lord. And the Lord said, “There is bloodguilt on Saul and on his house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.” 2 So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them. Now the Gibeonites were not of the people of Israel but of the remnant of the Amorites. Although the people of Israel had sworn to spare them, Saul had sought to strike them down in his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah. 3 And David said to the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you? And how shall I make atonement, that you may bless the heritage of the Lord?” 4 The Gibeonites said to him, “It is not a matter of silver or gold between us and Saul or his house; neither is it for us to put any man to death in Israel.” And he said, “What do you say that I shall do for you?” 5 They said to the king, “The man who consumed us and planned to destroy us, so that we should have no place in all the territory of Israel, 6 let seven of his sons be given to us, so that we may hang them before the Lord at Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of the Lord.” And the king said, “I will give them.”

7 But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Saul’s son Jonathan, because of the oath of the Lord that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul. 8 The king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Merab [4] the daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite; 9 and he gave them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the mountain before the Lord, and the seven of them perished together. They were put to death in the first days of harvest, at the beginning of barley harvest.

10 Then Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until rain fell upon them from the heavens. And she did not allow the birds of the air to come upon them by day, or the beasts of the field by night. 11 When David was told what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done, 12 David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, on the day the Philistines killed Saul on Gilboa. 13 And he brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan; and they gathered the bones of those who were hanged. 14 And they buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the land of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father. And they did all that the king commanded. And after that God responded to the plea for the land.

War with the Philistines

15 There was war again between the Philistines and Israel, and David went down together with his servants, and they fought against the Philistines. And David grew weary. 16 And Ishbi-benob, one of the descendants of the giants, whose spear weighed three hundred shekels [5] of bronze, and who was armed with a new sword, thought to kill David. 17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid and attacked the Philistine and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, “You shall no longer go out with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel.”

18 After this there was again war with the Philistines at Gob. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite struck down Saph, who was one of the descendants of the giants. 19 And there was again war with the Philistines at Gob, and Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim, the Bethlehemite, struck down Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. [6] 20 And there was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had six fingers on each hand, and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number, and he also was descended from the giants. 21 And when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimei, David’s brother, struck him down. 22 These four were descended from the giants in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.

John Piper has an analogy that demonstrates what true, full freedom means:

Full freedom is what you have when no lack of opportunity, no lack of ability, and no lack of desire prevents you from doing what will make you happiest in a thousand years. In order to be free in the fullest sense you have to have opportunity, ability, and desire to do what will make you happy in a thousand years. Another way to say it would be that there are four kinds of freedom, or better, four stages of freedom on the way to the full freedom all of us long for: the freedom of opportunity to do what we can, the freedom of ability to do what we desire, and the freedom of desire to do what will bring us unending joy.

Let’s take sky-jumping, for example. Suppose you are on your way to the airport to go up for your first real jump, but your car hits a pothole on Hiawatha, you have a blowout, and run into a telephone pole. You are no longer free to jump whether you have the ability or not, because the opportunity passes while you wait for the tow truck. You lack the freedom of opportunity.

Or suppose you do make it to the airport, but you have no ability at all—you have never studied sky-jumping and never learned the first thing about how a parachute works. The opportunity is there, but you don’t have the freedom of ability—you are in bondage to your own lack of know-how.

But suppose that you make it to the airport, you’ve been to school and been trained and have all the abilities needed, and you take off for your first jump. But as soon as you look down, all your desire vanishes and in its place comes a tremendous fear. The opportunity is there, the ability and know-how are there, but you don’t have the freedom of desire. The interesting thing about the freedom of desire is that you might be able to go ahead and jump without it, but it won’t be a free act. For example, you might feel so humiliated in front of your instructor (or girlfriend) that the desire not to be humiliated overcomes the desire not to jump. So you jump. But the emotional experience is not what we call freedom. You are acting under very uncomfortable external constraints. You are like Herod when his step-daughter asked for the head of John the Baptist. He didn’t want to kill John, but he wanted even less to be shamed before his guests. So he acted, but not with the freedom of desire. You have the freedom of desire when you do what you love to do.

That’s the way a lot of professing Christians try to keep the commandments of Christ. They don’t really delight to do them, but they feel some uncomfortable constraints like social pressures or fear of hell or desire to impress someone. So they go through outward motions of obedience, but the desire of their hearts is fixed somewhere else. They do not enjoy the freedom of desire which Christ gives when he is being formed in the heart (Galatians 4:19).

But there is one last requirement for full freedom. Suppose you get to the airport with no obstacle; you have all the know-how necessary; you look out the door at the tiny clusters of silos and barns and farmhouses and just can’t wait to jump. You have freedom of opportunity, freedom of ability, and freedom of desire. So you jump. And as you free fall, unbeknown to you, your parachute malfunctions and will not open. Are you free? In three senses, yes. But in that critical fourth sense, no. What you are doing so happily, so freely, is going to kill you. Whether you know it or not, you are in bondage to destruction. It would be a mockery to exult in the freedom of an exhilarating free fall if you knew it was leading to destruction. In order to be fully free, it is not enough to have opportunity, ability, and desire to act. The acts you desire and perform have to lead to life, indeed, eternal life not destruction.

This is why it is naïve for a Christian young person to envy the so-called freedom of those who pitch themselves out the window of sin and exult for a season in the exhilaration of free fall sex or free fall greed, or free fall drugs or free fall luxury. They will pass away like a vapor, but those who do the will of the Lord will abide for ever (1 John 2:17). True freedom is not just the opportunity and ability to do what you desire to do. It is the opportunity, ability, and desire to do what will make you happy in a thousand years.

Therefore, true Christians are the freest people in the world. And Paul is fighting with all his might in Galatians to expose the teaching of the Judaizers for what it really is: slavery. For Paul, the experience of freedom is not icing on the cake of Christianity. Freedom in Christ is Christianity. It is a matter of eternity. That’s the first point of the allegory. So let’s see if we can understand it and strengthen our stand in freedom.

To read the rest of the sermon, click here:

We shall find it useful to examine separately the several parts of our Lord’s passion. Let us follow Him step by step from the moment of His condemnation by Pilate to His last hour upon the cross. There is a deep meaning in every jot and tittle of His sorrows. All were striking emblems of spiritual truths. And let us not forget as we dwell on the wondrous story, that we and our sins were the cause of all these sufferings. “Christ suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God.” (1 Peter 3:18.) It is the death of our own Surety and Substitute that we are reading.

First of all we see Jesus delivered into the hands of the Roman soldiers, as a criminal condemned to death. He before whom the whole world will one day stand and be judged, allowed Himself to be sentenced unjustly, and given over into the hands of wicked men.

And why was this? It was that we, the poor sinful children of men, believing on Him, might be delivered from the pit of destruction, and the torment of the prison of hell. It was that we might be set free from every charge in the day of judgment, and be presented faultless before God the Father with exceeding joy.

Secondly, we see Jesus insulted and made a laughing-stock by the Roman soldiers. They “clothed Him with purple” in derision, and put “a crown of thorns” on His head, in mockery of his kingdom. “They smote Him on the head with a reed, and spit upon Him,” as one utterly contemptible, and no better than “the filth of the world.” (1 Cor. 4:13.)

And why was this? It was that we, vile as we are, might have glory, honor, and eternal life through faith in Christ’s atonement. It was done that we might be received into God’s kingdom with triumph at the last day, and receive the crown of glory that fades not away.

Thirdly, we see Jesus stripped of His garments and crucified naked before His enemies. The soldiers who led Him away “parted His garments, casting lots upon them.”

And why was this? It was that we, who have no righteousness of our own, might be clothed in the perfect righteousness that Christ has wrought out for us, and not stand naked before God at the last day. It was done, that we, who are all defiled with sin, might have a wedding-garment, wherein we may sit down by the side of angels, and not be ashamed.

Fourthly, we see Jesus suffering the most ignominious and humiliating of all deaths, even the death of the cross. It was the punishment reserved for the worst of malefactors. The man on whom it was inflicted was counted accursed. It is written, “Cursed is everyone that hangs on a tree.” (Gal. 3:13.)

And why was this? It was that we, who are born in sin and children of wrath, might be counted blessed for Christ’s sake. It was done to remove the curse which we all deserve because of sin, by laying it on Christ. “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.” (Gal. 3:13.)

Fifthly, we see Jesus reckoned a transgressor and a sinner. ”With him they crucify two thieves.” He who had done no sin, and in whom there was no deceit, “was numbered with the transgressors.”

And why was this? It was that we, who are miserable transgressors, both by nature and practice, may be reckoned innocent for Christ’s sake. It was done that we, who are worthy of nothing but condemnation, may be counted worthy to escape God’s judgment, and be pronounced not guilty before the assembled world.

Lastly, we see Jesus mocked when dying, as one who was an impostor, and unable to save Himself.

And why was this? It was that we, in our last hours, through faith in Christ may have strong consolation. It all came to pass that we may enjoy a strong assurance–may know whom we have believed, and may go down the valley of the shadow of death fearing no evil.

Let us leave the passage with a deep sense of the enormous debt which all believers owe to Christ. All that they have, and are, and hope for, may be traced up to the doing and dying of the Son of God. Through His condemnation, they have acquittal–through His sufferings, peace–through His shame, glory–through His death, life. Their sins were imputed to Him. His righteousness is imputed to them. No wonder that Paul says, “Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift.” (2 Cor. 9:15.)

Here the psalmist gives us three reasons why God should seek the glory of his name in preserving his people.

1. First, because of his steadfast love. He is merciful and gracious.
2. Second, because he is true and faithful. He keeps his promises.
3. Third, that the world would not see God’s people in a state of despair, and say, “So much for their God.”

So, is he pleading with God, for God’s sake, to glorify Himself.

And in verses 9,10, and 11 we are commanded to TRUST in the Lord.  He is faithful and He does all that He pleases. We can TRUST Him! And He is glorified when we DO trust Him.

King David’s son, Absalom, had killed his brother Amnon for raping his sister Tamar. Then he led a rebellion against the king and drove him out of Jerusalem. As we enter this poem, it is the night before the battle between the two armies and David is meeting with his generals.

The battle council sat around
The midnight fire upon the Mound
Of Ephraim above the plain
Of Gilead. Beneath the pain
On David’s face the duty of
A king took charge. “The God above
These bloody fields will guide the spear
And sword tomorrow. Do not fear.
If we find favor in his sight,
It will be well, and morning light
Will bring success.” Before him sat
His three commanders, Ittai, at
The head of foreign troops, and then
Brave Abishai and Joab, men
Whose fierce and cruel strength had shed
More blood than David ever said
They should.
Now David looked into
The eyes of Joab: “Friend, to you
I owe my life. You are a man
Of war. How often has the plan
Of battle triumphed better far
Than we had ever thought. You are
A mighty man. But there have been
Conspiracies in which your twin-
Edged sword, I fear, has brought more death
Than good, and silenced noble breath.
The blood of Abner was not shed
In righteousness. But he is dead.”

Joab had heard these things before,
And did not blink. “In love and war,”
He said, “things are not clean. I kill
To save my king, and I fulfill
The single focus that I see—
The duty God has given me:
Protect the king at any cost,
And die before the crown is lost.
Your enemy is mine, and should
I have one breath to breathe, I would
Breathe death to him, or anything
That threatens God’s anointed king.”
“I thank God for your loyalty,
Joab,” the king replied, “You see
Things through a solitary lens.
Such is the price of many men’s
Success. To play one role alone,
And be the best. You’re like a stone,
Joab, a smooth hard stone—so good
For bringing giants down, but would
Not work to build a home.”
The two
Men stood in silence looking through
The smoke across the muddy plains
Of Gilead. The fleeting gains
Of Absalom and his desires
Stretched South and West in dying fires
As far as one could see, the sheep
Of Israel, all now asleep,
Awaiting slaughter at the break
Of day. The boy-king cannot make
A match for Joab’s might. Before
The slumber David said, “He’s more
To me than you can know, Joab.

For you, like picking at a scab,
Would be his death. For me, my life
Is bound up in this boy. A knife
To my own throat would be the news
That he is dead. Joab, don’t bruise
My son. Deal gently with him for
My sake.”
Before the sun was more
Than half way up the morning sky,
Or Absalom could question why,
Full twenty-thousand of his men
Were dead, the army routed. Then
The rebel son fled on his mule,
Alone. And (to the end a fool)
He flew with haste among the oaks
Of Ephraim. And there the jokes
Of hard and callous men were made:
His hair became a deadly braid,
And caught him in the branches of
A terebinth. He hung above
The ground unable to undo
His famous hair. And thus he flew
Where there was no one else to blame.
His boast became his final shame.
And then a man told Joab, “I
Have seen the king’s son hanging by
His hair entangled in the trees
Of Ephraim.” “And did you seize
Him there?” Joab inquired. “Or was
He dead?” “He was not dead, nor does
Your servant disobey the king’s
Command.” “You fool, such mutterings
As these will save the enemy
And kill the king. Come now, and we
Will see how this insurgent swings,
And dies like all pretender kings.”

When Absalom perceived the sound
Of horses coming from around
The tree, he gained his consciousness
And grabbed once more the twisted tress
Still tangled in the branches of
The terebinth, and reached above
His head with fading strength to free
Himself—to no avail. “So we
Now meet again young traitor to
Your father’s throne. I see that you
Forgot to cut your hair before
The battle, Absalom. Ignore
The basics, boy, in love and war
And you will hang. It takes much more
Than flawless face and gorgeous hair
And kisses in the gate to tear
The crown from off the head of my
Anointed king. If you would try,
I think you better wear a band
Around your head, though not so grand—
A rope, perhaps, to hold the hair
In place, and leave the crown just where
It is, upon your father’s head.”
Then Joab took his spear, as dread
Filled Absalom. And as he took
This spiked and splintered lance, his look
Was merciless. And when he hurled
That spear, it was as if the world,
For one split second, in the mind
Of Absalom, had stopped, confined
Within the space between the hand
Of Joab and the brilliant band
Around his swinging breast. And in
That instant all that might have been
He saw, and wished, though but a trace,
That he could see his father’s face.

The spear smashed through his chest and came
Out on the other side. “The name
On that one, Absalom, is this:
Your brother Amnon, slain. Your kiss
A cover for your kill, the first
Born of the king was dead, and cursed
Be Absalom who thought to take
His place.” Then Joab said, “Now make
Room for a second spear. This lance
Has twenty thousand names. Come glance
Now if you can across the plain
Of Gilead! Behold the vain
Attempt of Absalom to be
The king: as far as one can see,
The dead, with wives still waiting in
Jerusalem.” And then the twin
Spear sank beside the first. “One more,
Fine-looking Absalom. My store
Of rage will be complete. He drew
His mighty arm again and threw
A third spear in the bloody chest
Of Absalom, and said, “O blest
And honored is my king and lord.
May all his foes have this reward.”
The word that Absalom was dead
Reached David as the crimson red
Horizon faded into night.
He stood, and as he took the flight
Of steps that led up to his room
Above the gate, he wept. Thick gloom
Now gathered over all the town
And all could hear his wail come down
Like shame upon the victory
That Joab won beneath the tree
In Ephraim.

“O Absalom
My son, my son, if you would come
Back from the dead, would I not take
Your place! O Absalom, awake,
My son, Awake! Would I had died
Instead of you.”
Joab defied
The order for the king to be
Alone, and did not bend the knee
When he approached. “My lord, do you
Not see what you are doing? Two
More hours of this, and not a man
Of war will stay. You shame the plan
And sacrifice that on this day
Was made in fierce and bloody fray
To save your crown and wives and seed.
Why show such love to those who speed
Your fall, and heap such shame on these,
Risked their lives and left their ease
And shed their blood for you? And now
You weep for Absalom! I vow,
My lord, if you lift not this shame
From off this triumph for your name,
There will not be a man beside
Your throne at dawn.”
The king replied,
“You killed my son.”
“I saved your life,
And gave you back your throne. This knife
You feel from Absalom’s demise,
Would you prefer it waken cries
From our defeat, and pierce the souls
Of widows waiting in their holes
Which they have dug, and where they wait
And pray that God would vindicate
The king, and bring their husbands back
And break the enemy’s attack.
Are these the ones you hate and smite?
I’ll see you in the gate. Good night.”

So David sat a long time in
The dark—alone, he thought.
“I’ve been
Here listening.” The tender sound
Of Tamar startled him. “I found
The other door. My mother said
It’s true—that Absalom is dead.
I thought that I would come and share
Your grief. Joab does less than fair
At comforting the king. He sees
Things through a single lens. At trees
He looks and sees the wood for spears.
At fields of grain, and what appears?
A battleground. He looks at men
At work and play, and sees again
The troops of war. One single thing
Compels this man: protect the king.
Is Joab not a gift from God?
A sinner like ourselves, and flawed
From head to toe. I am not numb.
I loved my brother, Absalom,
More deeply than you know. But I
Have seen and felt, my lord, how high
The price of vengeance is. I dread
This curse. Two brothers now are dead.
Two sons. And I now dwell alone.
And Joab is a useful stone.
I heard the wounded anger in
Your voice tonight. Perhaps it’s been
There simmering like Absalom’s.
But you can see that nothing comes
Of it but death. Revenge is not
What makes a noble king. Your lot,
As the anointed of the Lord,
Is now to lead your people toward
Their God, and sing for them a psalm,
And show them there’s a healing balm
Upon the plains of Gilead
Where twenty thousand men lie dead.
The burden of a king is great.
Tonight your place is in the gate.

Come flame and fire from candle two.
Consume revenge. We look to you,
Faint flicker of another Light
That once burned here. And O how bright
And pure it shone! Betrayed, denied,
But blameless, just, and crucified.
When he was struck, he did not strike
Again. And when the deadly spike
Was driven through his hands, he cried,
“Forgive them, Father.” Then he died,
And carried all your rage and hate.
The burden of a king is great.

Galatians 4:21-31 (ESV)

Example of Hagar and Sarah

21 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. 23 But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. 24 Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; [1] she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. 27 For it is written,

28 Now you, [2] brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. 30 But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” 31 So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman.

Mark 15:16-32 (ESV)