Written by Mark Driskill:
Wednesday March 9, 2011
Read Matthew 23:29-31
“Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.”
March 17, 2011 will be a historic day in Breathitt County. The people of God are going to march through downtown Jackson and pray. We will follow the historic tour and pray at each spot where assassinations and other crimes about a century ago gave us the name “Bloody Breathitt”. Some may ask why is that necessary? Why not just learn from the past and move on?
Listen, we can certainly learn from history, but unless there is true repentance from it we will never really rise above it. God has to do a work of redemption and forgiveness in order for the pain of the past to be healed. Otherwise we spend our lives living under the shadow of past sins and often repeating the same pattern in other ways. Our legacy of oppressing the native Americans and enslaving Africans centuries ago bears this out as we continue to live under the shame and reproach of those scars. We still resent those whom our ancestors oppressed, all the while claiming we have moved beyond. Until our hearts change nothing changes no matter how politically correct we try to be. We are still broken inside until the shame of the past is removed. It’s not enough to regret the mistakes of past generations you have to break the generational curse that comes with it. We are mistaken when we deny that the actions of former generations have any spiritual connection to us.
Many scoff at the idea of generational curses while forgetting that the whole purpose of redemption was to break the power of the sin nature we inherited from Adam and Eve in the garden millennia ago. Was that not the ultimate generational curse when each of us inherited the sin nature that came through the fall? If so then why do we not see that even today the sins of former generations have an impact on our lives today until their power is broken through the cross? Many believers today live under the yoke of oppression because generations of substance abuse that came before them. Others, while repudiating racism of former generations still find themselves living with an unexplainable shame and fear toward those of other races. This is because a legacy of racism in past generations has not been broken. I believe in our text today we see Jesus referring to a generational curse that remained unbroken with devastating effects.
Listen to his rebuke of the Pharisees who were planning to kill him. “Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees for you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, saying, If we had lived in the days of our fathers we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets. Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.” The leaders of that day were aware that their forefathers had done wrong by killing the prophets God had sent to them. In order to make themselves feel better about the sins of the fathers they would decorate the tombs of martyred prophets and seek to honor them.
This looks good on the outside, showing remorse for past sins. However the problem is all the while they were making plans to kill Jesus, showing the same evil heart of their ancestors. This is why Jesus went on to say they would answer for the blood of all the prophets from Able to Zechariah. You see like most of us they thought it was enough just to spend their lives trying to cover over the sins of the past by decorating tombs without having to repent of having the same sin nature in themselves. Until this happens the curse continues to manifest in future generations. I grew up in the deep south hearing people talk about slavery saying, “Oh we would have never done that if we had been living in those days.” And yet I saw the same people grow angry or suspicious if African Americans dared to come move into their neighborhoods or attend their churches. For many the curse of slavery is not broken. If you are free from the curse of the slaveholder why do you still consider your African American friends to be somewhat beneath you? Why right now are you growing angry at me and reminding yourself of all the Black friends you have? Why are you comforting yourself by remembering the time you “even had them in your home?”
The same can be said about sexism, greed, and other sins of past generations. It’s not enough to decorate the tombs and try to tell yourself you are better. The curse has to be broken through the cross. You have to come to Jesus as you did at salvation and in a sense repent of the sins of past generations, not that you share their guilt, but that you do carry their baggage. The great news is that through the cross the curse is broken. When you plead the blood of Jesus on the sins of the past its curse is broken you and you are free.
I believe friends that in Breathitt County the curse of Bloody Breathitt has to be broken in the same way. Those who are familiar with our history know that we have lived under the shame of horrible crimes committed around a century ago. How is it that we have not been able to move past its stigma? How is it that, as the ancestors of this beautiful county did, we continue to fight and bicker over petty politics while our children suffer? How is that we cannot seem to rise above the darkness of those tragic days? It is because while we may have learned from the past but we have not yet allowed the Lord to deliver us from its effects. Now is the time for God’s people to come together and in repentance and faith break the generational curse that has held us in bondage. This is why we are marching through the historic tour next Thursday. We meet at the courthouse steps at six o’clock to begin. we will be led through the tour but will stop and pray at each spot asking God to forgive and heal the deeds of the past. We will proclaim freedom from the curse through the cross (Galatians 3:10-14) and ask God to lead us into a new day. I hope you will join us. More importantly I hope you will spend some time in God’s presence asking him to shine his light on your past and break the power of any past sins that have been keeping you from being all you are called to be in Christ.
If the Son makes you free you will be free indeed.
Mark Driskill and his wife Mary are homeschooling community ministers in Breathitt County Kentucky. They have four children. They co pastor Emmanuel fellowship Church, serve as Camp Pastors at Bethel Mennonite Camp, and Mark Teaches at Oakdale Christian Academy.
Mark is web minister for Begotten by theWord , a ministry of Helping Hands Christian Resources.
Once a month he preaches on the local radio station through the “Lion of Judah” program. Mark also preaches in youth rallies and revivals upon request at no charge. Their vision is to see true spiritual awakening come to the mountains of Eastern Kentucky and to the nation.
Contact information:
Email: driskill@hilbillymail.com
Facebook: Mark Driskill
Address: PO Box 1159 Jackson KY.
