“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:12–13, ESV)
In the scripture for today, offered above, Jesus shared an important observation. He made clear for the disciples that one of His great commandments was that his followers “love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12). To make it even more clear, Jesus gave an example of that kind of love with these words: “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13). Jesus equated these two sentences together. He saw loving others as a form of self-sacrifice. The ultimate sacrifice was to love others enough to lay down one’s life for them if needed. Jesus showed His belief in this understanding by laying down His own life on the cross at Calvary.
With the words in the scripture today, Jesus was not trying to get across that one should throw his or her life away in order to be seen as a martyr. This would be a form a self-worship. You lay down your life so that your example gives you honor and meaning among people. Maybe a statue will be made after your sacrifice! Maybe a town will be named after you! This is a form of self-aggrandizement, but it is not what Jesus meant. Jesus saw true love as a form of self-sacrificing giving, wherein God was honored. You don’t do things for others to be noticed. You do things for others out of love for God.
Soldiers throughout history have seen the self-sacrificing love of their brothers and sisters in arms. Throughout time, there have been soldiers who ran into danger zones to save a downed or injured fellow soldier. There are more modern stories of soldiers who threw themselves onto live grenades to save the rest of those in the foxhole from certain death. History books are filled with stories of soldiers who gave their lives so that others may live in peace or fight another day for a just cause. We honor these life-sacrificing soldiers in the United States on Memorial Day in May each year.
In the dark ages, there were doctors and nurses and missionaries and priests and monks and nuns who took care of the sick and dying as the Black Plague spread throughout the globe. Many contracted the disease and ultimately died while caring for others. Their self-sacrifice was remembered by those suffering at that time and by God even now.
There have always been those who ran to help without thinking of their own needs. Like the policemen and firefighters than ran into the Pentagon and World Trade Center on 9/11/2001. There are firefighters every day who rush toward fires while many others run away from them. There are police who run toward gunfire hoping to protect the innocent. There are missionaries in far away lands who care for the sick and dying, the lost and needy. All these put their lives in jeopardy. Their self-sacrificing attitude is respected by Jesus.
In Planet In Rebellion, George Vandeman wrote:
It was May 21, 1946. The place—Los Alamos. A young and daring scientist was carrying out a necessary experiment in preparation for the atomic test to be conducted in the waters of the South Pacific atoll at Bikini. “He had successfully performed such an experiment many times before. In his effort to determine the amount of U-235 necessary for a chain reaction—scientists call it the critical mass—he would push two hemispheres of uranium together. Then, just as the mass became critical, he would push them apart with his screwdriver, thus instantly stopping the chain reaction.
But that day, just as the material became critical, the screwdriver slipped! The hemispheres of uranium came too close together. Instantly the room was filled with a dazzling bluish haze. Young Louis Slotin, instead of ducking and thereby possibly saving himself, tore the two hemispheres apart with his hands and thus interrupted the chain reaction.
By this instant, self-forgetful daring, he saved the lives of the seven other persons in the room. . . As he waited. . for the car that was to take him to the hospital, he said quietly to his companion, ‘You’ll come through all right. But I haven’t the faintest chance myself.’ It was only too true. Nine days later he died in agony.
“Nineteen centuries ago the Son of the living God walked directly into sin’s most concentrated radiation, allowed Himself to be touched by its curse, and let it take His life . . . But by that act He broke the chain reaction. He broke the power of sin.”
No other religion in the world can claim a Savior like Jesus, the Son of God who died for our sins. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross not only broke the power of sin, He gave us the perfect example. Jesus didn’t just talk about true love and self-sacrifice, HE lived these values. He practiced them. He died true to that kind of love.
As you look back on your life this Memorial week, what kinds of self-sacrificing love have you given to this world? Have you followed Jesus’ example? If so, Jesus will notice. You can bet your life on that!
Who might need some of your self-giving love at this time in your life? Is there a way you can follow Jesus’ commandment today? Our world is filled with selfish, prideful people. Truly loving and self-giving people are rare, but I’m hoping you are counted among these faithful!
With the words in the scripture today, Jesus was not trying to get across that one should throw his or her life away in order to be seen as a martyr. This would be a form a self-worship. You lay down your life so that your example gives you honor and meaning among people. Maybe a statue will be made after your sacrifice! Maybe a town will be named after you! This is a form of self-aggrandizement, but it is not what Jesus meant. Jesus saw true love as a form of self-sacrificing giving, wherein God was honored. You don’t do things for others to be noticed. You do things for others out of love for God.
Soldiers throughout history have seen the self-sacrificing love of their brothers and sisters in arms. Throughout time, there have been soldiers who ran into danger zones to save a downed or injured fellow soldier. There are more modern stories of soldiers who threw themselves onto live grenades to save the rest of those in the foxhole from certain death. History books are filled with stories of soldiers who gave their lives so that others may live in peace or fight another day for a just cause. We honor these life-sacrificing soldiers in the United States on Memorial Day in May each year.
In the dark ages, there were doctors and nurses and missionaries and priests and monks and nuns who took care of the sick and dying as the Black Plague spread throughout the globe. Many contracted the disease and ultimately died while caring for others. Their self-sacrifice was remembered by those suffering at that time and by God even now.
There have always been those who ran to help without thinking of their own needs. Like the policemen and firefighters than ran into the Pentagon and World Trade Center on 9/11/2001. There are firefighters every day who rush toward fires while many others run away from them. There are police who run toward gunfire hoping to protect the innocent. There are missionaries in far away lands who care for the sick and dying, the lost and needy. All these put their lives in jeopardy. Their self-sacrificing attitude is respected by Jesus.
In Planet In Rebellion, George Vandeman wrote:
It was May 21, 1946. The place—Los Alamos. A young and daring scientist was carrying out a necessary experiment in preparation for the atomic test to be conducted in the waters of the South Pacific atoll at Bikini. “He had successfully performed such an experiment many times before. In his effort to determine the amount of U-235 necessary for a chain reaction—scientists call it the critical mass—he would push two hemispheres of uranium together. Then, just as the mass became critical, he would push them apart with his screwdriver, thus instantly stopping the chain reaction.
But that day, just as the material became critical, the screwdriver slipped! The hemispheres of uranium came too close together. Instantly the room was filled with a dazzling bluish haze. Young Louis Slotin, instead of ducking and thereby possibly saving himself, tore the two hemispheres apart with his hands and thus interrupted the chain reaction.
By this instant, self-forgetful daring, he saved the lives of the seven other persons in the room. . . As he waited. . for the car that was to take him to the hospital, he said quietly to his companion, ‘You’ll come through all right. But I haven’t the faintest chance myself.’ It was only too true. Nine days later he died in agony.
“Nineteen centuries ago the Son of the living God walked directly into sin’s most concentrated radiation, allowed Himself to be touched by its curse, and let it take His life . . . But by that act He broke the chain reaction. He broke the power of sin.”
No other religion in the world can claim a Savior like Jesus, the Son of God who died for our sins. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross not only broke the power of sin, He gave us the perfect example. Jesus didn’t just talk about true love and self-sacrifice, HE lived these values. He practiced them. He died true to that kind of love.
As you look back on your life this Memorial week, what kinds of self-sacrificing love have you given to this world? Have you followed Jesus’ example? If so, Jesus will notice. You can bet your life on that!
Who might need some of your self-giving love at this time in your life? Is there a way you can follow Jesus’ commandment today? Our world is filled with selfish, prideful people. Truly loving and self-giving people are rare, but I’m hoping you are counted among these faithful!