Post by Zac Loh on Mar 2, 2009 13:55:03 GMT -5
For some of us, it is not in our nature to be sacrificial. The way I understand sacrifice, it is not about being charitable in the extra or giving out of abundance or making use of oversupply.
It the Bible, we are urged to be sacrificial. Yet the Bible also said that to be obedient to God is better than sacrifice.
Notorious
Matthew 27:15-16
Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to releasing to the multitude one prisoner whom they wished. And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. Therefore, when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” For he knew that they had handed Him over because of envy. (Matthew 27:15-18)
How would you like to have a notorious prisoner chosen over you, adding insult to injury? Betrayed. Arrested. Accused. Tortured. Now insulted. And murder is in tow.
The people thought that they had used their power and ingenuity to capture Jesus …they were blind and ignorant.
Jesus had said that nobody could take His life. He had twelve legions of angels at His disposal, at His summon. He gave His life willingly, voluntarily.
My point …self-sacrifice.
Jesus’ style was leadership by example. He commanded His disciples to be sacrificial. He Himself epitomized it before them.
I have to admit that without God in our lives, there is less incentive for self-sacrifice. The Christian context of self-sacrifice is, first and foremost, sacrificing to God and for God.
Two men, stricken with tuberculosis, share the same room in a government hospital. They were both bedridden and consigned to their own bed for the long term. So they quickly became friends.
There was only one window, small, located near the bed of one man. The man with the window view will each day relate the happenings seen through the window, vividly and in great detail. He describes beautiful scenes and interesting people. It was thoroughly engrossing. The other man was happy to have such a good friend. It made his stay there bearable.
One day, the man with the window view tells of a wonderful parade passing by. Not surprisingly, the other man was captivated. The man with the window view was a good communicator. Sadly, envy and covetousness crept into the other man’s heart.
And one night, the man with the window view, started coughing heavily, and it continued throughout the night. Eventually, he started coughing blood. And the blood kept coming. The man was weak. He stretched to reach his buzzer to call-in the nurse on duty. He struggle with all his might, still he failed to touch the buzzer.
The other man was awake. But laid silently and watched. The other man could have pressed his buzzer so that the nurse could come-in and save the man with the window view. But the other man stayed unmoved.
The next morning, upon routine checking, the nurse found the man with the window view had died, his blood smeared the pillow.
While the nurse was removing the deceased man and clearing-out the belongings, the other man asked if he could have the bed. The nurse was alright with it and helped him over.
“At last,” he said within him. As he sat there, he straightens himself slowly to take a peek thorough the window. And he saw a brick wall. He was shocked.
He asked the nurse, “what was the wall?” The nurse replied it was the other hospital building. The man couldn’t see anything else other than that brick wall.
Utterly confused, he told the nurse of the many things which the deceased man, who had the window view, had seen. “It was impossible,” said the nurse, “because the deceased man was blind.”
We see the contrast between self-sacrifice and self-centeredness.
It the Bible, we are urged to be sacrificial. Yet the Bible also said that to be obedient to God is better than sacrifice.
Notorious
Matthew 27:15-16
Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to releasing to the multitude one prisoner whom they wished. And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. Therefore, when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” For he knew that they had handed Him over because of envy. (Matthew 27:15-18)
How would you like to have a notorious prisoner chosen over you, adding insult to injury? Betrayed. Arrested. Accused. Tortured. Now insulted. And murder is in tow.
The people thought that they had used their power and ingenuity to capture Jesus …they were blind and ignorant.
Jesus had said that nobody could take His life. He had twelve legions of angels at His disposal, at His summon. He gave His life willingly, voluntarily.
My point …self-sacrifice.
Jesus’ style was leadership by example. He commanded His disciples to be sacrificial. He Himself epitomized it before them.
I have to admit that without God in our lives, there is less incentive for self-sacrifice. The Christian context of self-sacrifice is, first and foremost, sacrificing to God and for God.
Two men, stricken with tuberculosis, share the same room in a government hospital. They were both bedridden and consigned to their own bed for the long term. So they quickly became friends.
There was only one window, small, located near the bed of one man. The man with the window view will each day relate the happenings seen through the window, vividly and in great detail. He describes beautiful scenes and interesting people. It was thoroughly engrossing. The other man was happy to have such a good friend. It made his stay there bearable.
One day, the man with the window view tells of a wonderful parade passing by. Not surprisingly, the other man was captivated. The man with the window view was a good communicator. Sadly, envy and covetousness crept into the other man’s heart.
And one night, the man with the window view, started coughing heavily, and it continued throughout the night. Eventually, he started coughing blood. And the blood kept coming. The man was weak. He stretched to reach his buzzer to call-in the nurse on duty. He struggle with all his might, still he failed to touch the buzzer.
The other man was awake. But laid silently and watched. The other man could have pressed his buzzer so that the nurse could come-in and save the man with the window view. But the other man stayed unmoved.
The next morning, upon routine checking, the nurse found the man with the window view had died, his blood smeared the pillow.
While the nurse was removing the deceased man and clearing-out the belongings, the other man asked if he could have the bed. The nurse was alright with it and helped him over.
“At last,” he said within him. As he sat there, he straightens himself slowly to take a peek thorough the window. And he saw a brick wall. He was shocked.
He asked the nurse, “what was the wall?” The nurse replied it was the other hospital building. The man couldn’t see anything else other than that brick wall.
Utterly confused, he told the nurse of the many things which the deceased man, who had the window view, had seen. “It was impossible,” said the nurse, “because the deceased man was blind.”
We see the contrast between self-sacrifice and self-centeredness.