Mar 8 - "Sacrifice"

Genesis 44:18-34
"Now therefore, please let your servant remain as a slave to my lord in place of the boy; and let the boy go back with his brothers. For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I fear to see the suffering that would come upon my father."
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Throughout the hundreds of stories told in the Bible, we see examples of sacrifice. Situations where one thing or one person is exchanged in place of another in order to achieve the greater good is a thread which winds its way throughout the lives of the people we have come to know in these stories. From Abraham, Isaac and the lamb, to Ruth and Naomi, to Esther, to Job, we see a multitude of people we can uphold as models of sacrifice.

The reading above from Genesis is near the end of the story when Joseph, "disguised" as the chief assistant to Pharaoh, finally reveals himself to his brothers. When a stolen cup is found in the grain sack of Jacob's youngest son, Benjamin, Judah offers himself to be a slave in place of Benjamin. Judah has such a deep love for his father Jacob and a grave concern that he will no longer be able to live if Benjamin does not return home, he sacrifices his own freedom so that another can be free. Certainly, Judah is not without sin as he took part in the "loss" of Jacob's other dear son, Joseph, by selling him into slavery years before. But, regardless of his past transgressions, Judah's sacrifice is pure of heart.

Have you ever made a sacrifice?

Throughout our daily lives, we all certainly make sacrifices. Small things here and there which may not cause us terrible hardship, but by making the choice, eases another's burden in some way. But, have any of us been faced with a choice to put ourselves in a truly precarious position, risking perhaps even life and limb in order that another can live? I certainly have not been faced with anything this dramatic. On the other hand, have you ever been the beneficiary of someone else's sacrifice?

Yes. We all have.

I love my family. The depth of this love goes even to the point where I would willingly put my life on the line in exchange for one of theirs. If faced with a situation where one of them were in mortal danger and I had the opportunity to put my own life down as a sacrifice so that they could live, I would do it without a second thought. I think many of you reading this would do the same, without question.

But there is even a greater sacrifice.

It seems horrible to think about, but, if you have a child or children, would you allow one of them to be sacrificed so that someone else might live? How about someone who maybe didn't even deserve to live? Even writing these words brings pain to my heart, thinking about losing one of my children. I cannot imagine anything more terrible. When I think about how much I love my family and love each one of my beautiful daughters, I cannot imagine a greater love. It consumes me, fills me up, makes me better than I could be, had I never loved so deeply.

But, there is even a greater love.

God loves each of us so much, He made the choice to send His Son as a sacrifice for us. He took that which was dearest to Him and put Him into the world to experience sadness, pain and death. He did this not because we had obeyed His laws and commandments, not because we fulfilled our own obligations of sacrifice and repentance. He did this when we did not deserve to live. Can you imagine how great this love is which God has for us? Can you see it? It seems beyond comprehension, yet, we can see a shadow, a glimpse of it every time we have our children or our loved ones in our arms.

So, rejoice in the love and the sacrifice which was made for you. Know that there is nothing you can do to negate this gift; nothing which will separate you from eternal life with Him. For when each of us makes a small sacrifice for another, when we love, when we freely give and rejoice in these things, we are honoring that which is given to us and we become a part of God's glorious and ongoing work in the world.