Sacrifice
Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 9:41 am
Dr. Laniak's account of his slaughter of a sheep was poignant and reminded me of my time growing up in a rural area of Louisiana where I watched cows, pigs, and chicken getting slaughtered on a regular basis. The first time watching one of these events was very moving, but it soon became more "common" the more I saw.
Oftentimes, we take what Jesus went through - the sacrifice He made - for us as "common." Because we read the same passages, the story does not change, and the ending is the same, we become comfortable and overlook the enormity of His task and the great sacrifice. Yes, we have our yearly account of the cross during our recognition of Good Friday, but we quickly revert to Sunday. We understand that what happened on Sunday gives us all hope for tomorrow, but we must not forget what He endured on Friday.
For this great sacrifice, what does He ask of us? To sacrifice as well. To feed His sheep. There are many that have sacrificed their lives for the cause of feeding the sheep. When I am tempted to fall into the western trap of comfort and "looking out for #1," I am often reminded of the sacrifice that must be made for the furtherance of the Gospel.
Oftentimes, we take what Jesus went through - the sacrifice He made - for us as "common." Because we read the same passages, the story does not change, and the ending is the same, we become comfortable and overlook the enormity of His task and the great sacrifice. Yes, we have our yearly account of the cross during our recognition of Good Friday, but we quickly revert to Sunday. We understand that what happened on Sunday gives us all hope for tomorrow, but we must not forget what He endured on Friday.
For this great sacrifice, what does He ask of us? To sacrifice as well. To feed His sheep. There are many that have sacrificed their lives for the cause of feeding the sheep. When I am tempted to fall into the western trap of comfort and "looking out for #1," I am often reminded of the sacrifice that must be made for the furtherance of the Gospel.