Tag Archives: Sacrifice

Warped And Fractured

*This Thursday’s 4/10/14  Writing prompt: Broken
This prompt is inspired by themes of Lent. Week #5 of {The Journey Series}, the journey to Easter.

 

 

BROKEN

This world is warped and fractured.

Oozing the pain of days gone bad.

One just needs to turn on the TV to hear the world crying.

At times the agony seems far away and sometimes…

it grips you. Personally.

The world breaks you.

The delicate shards of life scattered at your feet.

Will this world ever be whole again?

Will life be as it should? As it was meant?

When sin blackened our days, did it also steal our future?

Millions searching for purpose in this life…….

And the tear streaked faces and hardened hearts look for the answer.

And The Word echoes across the barren broken soul.

And when He (Jesus) had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.…  Luke 22:19 

Christ’s broken body…given for You. Christ took your (and my) place on a rough, heavy cross, that day on Calvary.

The perfect life, laid down for the imperfect. The sinless One sacrificed because of the darkness of a sin broken world, full of those who desperately need Him.

Jesus chose to be broken and poured out……for you…..for me.

When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. John 19:30 NIV

As we walk towards Resurrection Day, let us remember the great sacrifice that Christ made for us. The suffering was great for sins that He didn’t commit.

A pardon given, because of His love. 

 

IMG_1236

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fighting My Own Will

Sasebo, Japan (Dec 18, 2003) -- Sailors practi...

The day went from bad to worse.

I woke up achy. Not sick achy, just yuck achy. I was already tired and I had only been up a few minutes. The cat had puked and I almost stepped in it on the way to the kitchen. I was short with my son, blurted angry words, and it caused hard feelings. The rest of the day went downhill from there…and I’d only been up for 15 minutes.

I was frustrated, angry, and resentful….and in my defense there are some very real issues that need addressing….but, my attitude certainly was not helpful.

At all.

Big, huge, huffing, SIGH.

I knew that today I’d be writing on sacrifice. Oh, great. Just what I needed.

Sacrifice….the last thing I wanted to write about, and the thing I needed to write most about.

It’s difficult, the stepping back. The letting go. The not having everything perfect.

I so badly want the “perfect”.

It is a struggle to say, “Okay, it’s not the way I want it, or the way it should be, but….I’m not the one in control.”

God is.

His, was the greatest of sacrifice. A sacrifice that makes anything I might or might not do, seem almost irrelevant.

It isn’t though, not really….not to Him.

God sees and knows my sacrifice. He sees me struggle to die to self. He understands my hand to hand combat in the fight against my own will.

Sacrifice isn’t easy.

It never is.

But, it is necessary.

Because, it is through our sacrifice and struggles that we become more like Him…..and that makes it all worth while.

Related articles

Sacrifice

Crucifixion in the Holy Land Experience theme park

Today, at A Holy Experience, we are taking the time to write about the practice of sacrifice.

***********************************************************************************************************

Sometimes sacrifice requires letting go, an act that is most challenging.

Even when anger is justified…when the wrong hasn’t been righted…

When the one who caused the pain isn’t interested in making things right.

Forgiveness requires sacrifice in order to be whole again.

Making the choice to forgive, because isn’t forgiving always a choice?

Bitterness, revenge, and hatred bound together, longing to crowd out forgiveness.

It is much easier to give in to those feelings, than it is to sacrifice my own desires.

Why should I give in, when I did nothing wrong? Why should I have to turn the other cheek?

Why not him, or her?

Sacrifice is always messy……

and no one comes away from the altar untouched.

Giving up what I thought I wanted for what is better.

Always better.

…………………………….

And sacrifice requires blood.

The Lamb was perfect and blameless.

Sacrificial.

He gave of Himself so that I could live.

Even when I was wrong and didn’t care.

When I caused Him pain, and didn’t give it a second thought.

When I wasn’t looking for Him, He was searching for me.

My name was on His mind…

When He was nailed to the altar on that day, and the world changed forever.

The word sacrifice took on a new meaning.

It was finished

*******************************************************

.   20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

   24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

   25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you[e] known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”  John 17 NIV

When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.  John 19:30 NIV

 

Related articles

You Took My Place

The Passion of the Christ

Image via Wikipedia The quiet moments. The times of reflection. The times of remembrance.

The quiet moments. The moments of thought and reflection.

Sacrifice. Pain. Tears.

“Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”  The crowds of so long ago, shouted. Their voices echo through time… I cannot blame them. They were imperfect sinners. Just like me. I was in that crowd.

My sin crucified my Lord. It wasn’t just “other people”. It was me. My sin, put Him there. His love for me, kept Him there.

Selfishness! The slam of the hammer, as the nails pierced His flesh.

Pride! His face twisted in agony.

Resentment! The burden on His shoulders.

Bitterness! The blood dripped down.

God, forgive me. Please forgive me.

***************

You Took My Place

The thorns on your head

blood, runs red.

You hung on a Roman cross

for sin not your own,

the pain unbearable

the sounds of your groan.

You could have called angels to deliver you, free

but you stayed there…you stayed there for me.

“Father forgive her

She doesn’t know!”

You saw me, you knew me

before time began,

you hung on that cross

the Savior of man.

You took the blame

You bore my shame.

Jesus my Lord, You took my place

knowing your sacrifice

your gift of grace…

Would deliver me from

death…and its dark face.

The stone rolled away

You are alive, no longer dead!

You stand victorious

Just like you said!

—Dawn Gibson 2011

Won’t you join us, as we walk with Him?

Related Articles

Love Is A Sacrifice

As good as heart can wish

Image by harold.lloyd via Flickr

Love is a sacrifice… I wrote this note in my Bible, in the margin of the page,  next to the story of  The Good Samaritan. (Luke 10:25-) A story that Jesus gave as an example of love. A man hurt, beaten and bleeding, on the side of the road. Ignored by some. Cared for by a stranger. The stranger showed compassion and mercy to this man that he did not know.

As I looked to this story, I pondered the words of the Lord. He ends His parable referring to the actions of the good Samaritan, “Go and do likewise.”

Go and do likewise. Jesus’ words echo in my heart.

How many times am I like the priest or the Levite in the story? The first people to encounter the wounded stranger. The priest crossed to the other side of the road, as did the Levite. Was the sight of the man too much? Were they too busy? Did they owe this stranger their time? Could they be bothered with the ache of another?

I’ve known this story since childhood…but, today I looked at it with new eyes.  A story with a lesson. Relevant to today.

“He bandaged his wounds.”

“He took care of him.”

To the inn keeper he said, “Look after him, I will reimburse you.”

This man was not too busy to slow down.  He knelt to help another…with no expectation of reward or reimbursement. We do not know (Jesus never says)  if the hurt man ever thanked the Samaritan that had helped him.

Love calls for sacrifice.

A sacrifice of time. A sacrifice of energy. A sacrifice of what I might want, for the benefit of another. Selfishness can’t survive in the presence of love.

Real love for others, always requires a sacrifice of self.
“The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
Mark 12:31

” Do to others as you would have them do to you.”
Luke 6:31

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.”
Ephesians 4:2

“We love because he first loved us.”
1 John 4:19


Related Articles