Jesus came to set the captives free. Of course we're not in prison, so we figure, he came for the people behind bars, right? But the fact is, there are many different forms of captivity.

I was in a prison cell of depression during high school. And some of my kids have suffered from similar feelings. Our family picture may show us smiling, but we're probably not going to tell you much about what's behind those smiles. The older I get, the more I see that most people are struggling to get free in one way or another.

There are those captive to bitterness,

to their bad habits,

to their self-image,

to their poverty,

to their selfishness.

It may be you and it may be me. But it doesn't need to be that way. Jesus came to set us all free.

And freedom is a wonderful thing! When you get out of your jail cell, you want to do cartwheels and kick up your heels and laugh.

People stay in their cells for a variety of reasons: perhaps they don't know how to get out, perhaps it seems like too much work to leave. Usually they need a vision for freedom and some encouragement. We need help to get out.

We're either stuck in some kind of captivity, or we are gloriously free and need to be helping others - walking and growing in our vocation as liberators. A good question to ask ourselves is, "Does anything hold me captive, and if not, am I helping to set others free?"

As the women walk toward the tomb they ask, "Who will roll away the stone?" (Mark 16:3).

Today you and I face the same question: "Who will roll away the stone of our captivity?"