Several years ago, amidst a mini, though major insurrection persons in favor of an infamous ‘don*’ wrote on a placard; “Jesus died for us; we will die for our don”. I was absolutely mortified! It was absolutely offensive to me! Yet their argument was grounded in their reality. How would you have responded? And what’s your reaction to today’s Holy Nougat?
“We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.” 1 John 3:16 NLT
So did the placard mean that community members were demonstrating their ‘Love’ or Loyalty to their don? More importantly, how do we respond to the nougat?
An initial thought is ‘errr’ … ‘ahm’ … ‘well’ … before really considering what is this Faith that I’ve undertaken. Perhaps it’s the same for you. Just think, you might have been guilty along with me for frankly telling someone, ‘I love you loads; but not that much!’ Or maybe you’ve been frank with them; explaining that you don’t do jail-time, nor would you take a bullet on their behalf.
Yet some of us might be able to think of at least one person for whom we’d make the ‘ultimate’ sacrifice. Our spouse, children, parents, dear friends. Probably even strangers – members of the military do that for us in battle. We laud some of these people as the heroes they are. And some receive national honors.
John invites us to be willing to lay our lives down for our family. It is possible that he means family in the faith. This is not necessarily the ‘beloved’ person for whom we’d die; rather I believe it invites us to count the costs, and help someone anyway.
- Would we voluntarily face persecution for others who may not even appreciate the sacrifice?
- Are we willing to walk away from our familiar and comfortable lifestyles for the love of ‘family’?
- On hearing of famine, floods, trafficking, etc., are we moved with compassion to make an intentional sacrifice for the dying and suffering?
- What would you do; what do you consider to be a worthwhile sacrifice that demonstrates our love in a manner that honors Christ?
I pray God’s direction as we discern what 1 John 3:16 asks.
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*A don is a term used to describe a community leader who provides for the needs of the people, often in a Robin Hood manner. He was not officially elected, but was generally (self-)selected; perhaps by force
May all we seek be found in Christ
