I was just thinking the other day that we seem to be obsessed by "rights". Have you noticed that? The definition of obsession is the preoccupation of the mind to an excessive degree. Is it possible to be excessive about "Rights… Liberties… Freedoms", stuff like that? I suppose it's possible to be obsessed by anything… good or bad.
Anyway, it seems every time you turn around someone is raising a hue and cry about rights. There are Human Rights… Women's Rights… Children's Rights… Parent's Rights… Worker's Rights… Gay Rights… Animal Rights… Criminal Rights… Victim's Rights… A Right To Life… A Right To Choose… You can probably think of a few more.
Don't misunderstand me. I like Rights!… Especially the ones I think belong to me, or to causes that I believe in. But we can't just leave it there, because there are some demanding questions that keep cropping up. Questions like: Are Rights the Same For Everybody?… What Happens When the Rights of One Seem to Cancel Out the Rights of Another? … Do I have the Same Rights As a Chicken, Or Visa Versa? … Does a Parent Have Some Rights That a Child Doesn't?… How About a Teacher Vs. a Student?… Do Some Adults Have More Rights Than Others? If So, How Come?
I thought, this whole "rights" thing can get pretty sticky at times. And then I thought of the story Jesus told about the Prodigal Son, who wanted his inheritance rights ahead of time. However, he didn't want to enjoy them in the Responsible Atmosphere of His Father's House… So he left with his "rights" and tried to enjoy them in a setting where no demands or responsibilities were laid on him. He Lost His Rights… His Life Became Miserable. (There's more to the story, but this is sufficient for our purpose now.)
Maybe that's why this business of "rights" gives us so much trouble. (And I think it does.) We want our rights, but not the God who gave them to us. And, we want to exercise them without being Responsible for them.