Sacrifice

I know this story, maybe you know it too.

A long time ago there was a named Abram.  Abram had a unique relationship with God so when God asked him to leave his extended family and his land, he obeyed.  The experience drew him closer to God.  There was one problem, though.  Abram didn’t have any children.  His wife Sarai was barren and now she was very old and past the age of having children.  Abraham (God had given them new names in the process) found himself in a strange predicament since God had promised him that he would be the father of nations.  He decided to try to fix the problem his way and ended up having Ishmael by his wife’s maid.  God corrected his thinking and several years later gave him the son of promise, Isaac, from his own wife Sarah (her name had been changed also) though she had been barren for so long and past the age of baring children.

The story doesn’t end there.  Abraham loved and favored Isaac.   God had promised that he was the son of promise and would continue the line to make Abraham the father of nations.  At this point in the story, though, God asks Abraham to do something crazy.  He tells him to offer his son as a sacrifice.  Abraham loves and obeys God above all and is willing to do it.  As he is about to do it, God provides a ram in the place of Isaac.  Isaac’s life is spared and Abraham’s faith, obedience, and willingness to sacrifice had been challenged.

Sacrifice.

Currently there are millions of Muslims gathered in Saudi Arabia for the yearly pilgrimage (Hajj) to commemorate Abraham, his sacrifice in which God provided a substitute (the Quran never identifies which son), and some other stories they have from Abraham’s life.  They spend ten days following a route which honors sacrifice in hopes that they will draw nearer to God and have their sins forgiven.

Those who can’t attend the Hajj are also celebrating Abraham’s sacrifice and God’s provision by gathering together.  Families and/or communities will take the opportunity to offer a sacrifice of a goat, lamb, or bull and giving a portion to the poor or to neighbors.

Sacrifice.

What is sacrifice?

Dictionary.com defines it as the surrender or destruction of something prized or desirable for the sake of something considered as having a higher or more pressing claim.

According to this definition, what and why do I sacrifice?

I give up my time (desirable) because I have obligations (a higher claim).  I give up relationships (desirable) because I become busy (a higher claim).  I give up my money (desirable) because God tells me to (a higher claim).  Sometimes I give something desirable because I love and want to bless and honor God (a higher claim), but sadly, I find that that can be hard to do on a daily basis.  Sacrifice often becomes something that causes me pain, inconvenience, or is just not fun to do.

Sacrifice

God gave up his only Son (desirable) so that we don’t have to experience death and so we can have relationship with him (a higher claim).  Jesus gave up his own life (desirable) to open the way for us to meet with God face to face (a higher claim).

The best part of Jesus’ sacrifice is that he didn’t do it grudgingly, “…for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2b)  His joy is US, we are a higher claim than his very life!  I was worth it!  You were worth it!  The thought of me kept Jesus on the cross, joyfully!  Of course, it was hard.  Of course, he didn’t laugh his way to the cross but he also didn’t avoid it or stop it.

I know that I may not laugh my way through all of the sacrifices I will make in my life, but my biggest challenge is also not to grudgingly walk through them.  I think that it comes down to my “higher claim” or I should say “the motivation of my heart.”  My motivation often determines my response to the sacrifice.

Am I sacrificing because I feel I have to or because it just seems right? Or am I sacrificing because my sole heart’s cry is to love Jesus and honor him with my life?