Sermon Illustrations

Michaelangelo Buonoarti was one of the world’s most talented sculptor. Many have enjoyed his work in pictures or photos. Others of us have seen the real thing. There is a set of 4 sculptures Michaelangelo done around 1453 that some claim were never finished. The were commissioned for the tomb of Pope Julius but never installed there. They have been called collectively “The Slaves.” Michaelangelo referred to them as “The Prisoners.” They are four figures of men who appear to be struggling to be free from the stone which imprisons them. The pictures I’ve seen are mesmerizing, fascinating. I think they touch a place in humanity where we long to be free from the forces that hold us as prisoners in our own lives. Looking at the statues, you become aware that it would take the hands of a master sculptor to free the images from their stone prisons. --- What would it take to liberate us from our prisons and lead us into circumstances where we experience unending joy?