"It's all for nothing if you don't have freedom"

“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?”

(Matthew 16:26)

Yesterday evening I was surfing the channels on the cable box, when I ran across what I must say is my most favorite movie…“Braveheart”, the movie that allowed me to see that men in kilts, can kick your butt. It also made me love the sound of bagpipes. But even more than those two things, it leaves you with some pretty good quotes from Mel Gibson’s Character William Wallace, if you ever have to fight England or are just looking for freedom.
Quotes like:

“There's a difference between us. You think the people of this country exist to provide you with position. I think your position exists to provide those people with freedom. And I go to make sure that they have it.”

“Lower your flags and march straight back to England, stopping at every home you pass by to beg forgiveness for a hundred years of theft, rape, and murder. Do that and your men shall live. Do it not, and every one of you will die today.”

“I came back home to raise crops, and God willing, a family. If I can live in peace, I will.”

“Aye, fight and you may die. Run, and you'll live... at least a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willin' to trade ALL the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they'll never take... OUR FREEDOM!”

“Go back to England and tell them there that Scotland's daughters and her sons are yours no more. Tell them Scotland is free.”

“Now tell me, what does that mean to be noble? Your title gives you claim to the throne of our country, but men don't follow titles, they follow courage. Now our people know you. Noble, and common, they respect you. And if you would just lead them to freedom, they'd follow you. And so would I.”

“Every man dies, not every man really lives.”

“We all end up dead, it's just a question of how and why.”

But what I believe to be the greatest quote in this whole movie, was when William was going to meet with the soon to be queen & his closest friend tells him that he is worried that it may be a trap. He tells William that he doesn’t want to be a “martyr”, William replies “And neither do I! I want to have a wife, children & a home, I want to live! But it's all for nothing if you don't have freedom.”

Matthew 16:26 teaches us the same thing, if we marry, have children, a nice home, a great job, a sharp car, money, money & more money… “It’s all for nothing, if you don’t have freedom”, freedom provided by Jesus. Often we think that material possessions will make us free, but they usually just make us a slave to making or accumulating more. But Jesus said, “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed”. Now that is a good quote.