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(Proverbs 31:25-26)
"She is clothed with strength and dignity; She can laugh at the days to come.
She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue." |
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| Monday, January 15, 2007 |
| Rethinking Sacrifice |
I was reading online a story about a man called Abraham Bininger. Below is the summary of his convictions that made me rethink about my definition of sacrifice.
"Abraham Bininger, a Swiss boy from Zurich, came with his parents to this country on the same ship that brought John Wesley. The father and mother of the lad both died on the voyage and were buried at sea, and he stepped alone from the gangway onto a strange continent where there was not a single familiar face. This solitude of his childhood drove him closer to the Friend in whom religion had early taught him to trust. The orphaned condition of the gentle boy must have appealed strongly to the sympathy of Mr. Wesley, and it was probably the great preacher himself who took him from the ship to the Methodist orphan school in Georgia where he was educated.
In his youth, Bininger gave proof of singularly devout and tender feeling, and this character was intensified with added years. When he had grown to manhood, he asked to be sent to tell the story of the cross to the Negroes of the island of St. Thomas, having heard of their great misery and degradation. When he arrived at the island, he learned that it was against the law for any person but a slave to preach to the slaves. It was the policy of the planters to keep the blacks in ignorance and superstition. Shortly after this, the governor of St. Thomas received a letter signed by Abraham Bininger, in which the writer begged urgently to become a slave for the rest of his life, promising to serve as a slave faithfully provided the could give his leisure time to preaching to his fellowslaves. The governor sent the letter to the King of Denmark, who was so touched by it that he sent an edict empowering Abraham Bininger to tell the story of the Messiah when and where he chose--to black or white bond or free."
The first thing that went through my head was "What? Become a slave?!"
A definition of a slave is :
1. One bound in servitude as the property of a person or household.
2. One who is abjectly subservient to a specified person or influence
It just blows my mind to read about how this man was so eager to share about God's Word that he was willing to give up his freedom (that many people would rather die than to give up) in order to be able to preach. And mind not, in those days, the slaves' lives were very hard and their belief system had been based on supersitions and traditions! I could not imagine what kind of sacrificial attitude he must had... to sacrifice for people who might not be appreciative at all. This reminds me of Jesus... who died on the cross for me even though I have had rejected him time and time again; refused to repent time and time again, etc. He died on the cross for me fully knowing that I could reject him. My mind sometimes just goes into a blank when I try to fathom such unconditional love.
In Philippians 2:17-18:"Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me."
Here Paul mentions his willingness to be "poured out as drink offering" on the sacrifice of the Philippian people. Paul is referring to his willingness to be martyred for the cause of Christ. He is willing to sacrifice his life along with the sacrifice of these people.
To some sources I found, Paul is said to be referring to the Old Testament sacrifices. Looking at a couple passage in Numbers chapter 15, what Paul is alluding to; (Numbers 15:5-7) "and one-fourth of a HIN of wine as a drink offering you shall prepare with the burnt offering or the sacrifice, for each lamb. Or for a ram you shall prepare as a grain offering two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with one-third of a HIN of oil; and as a drink offering you shall offer one-third of a HIN of wine as a sweet aroma to the LORD."
In the Old Testament we see that at times a drink offering was to be made along with the offering of a lamb, ram, or bull. What Paul is saying is that he is willing to be that drink offering to go along with the sacrifice of service of faith, which the Philippian people were offering up.
That sacrifice of the Philippian people is mentioned in the previous verses. The sacrifice of their worldly sense of pride by allowing God to work in them, sacrificing worldly concepts of "self-control" for a spirit controlled life. They sacrifice to shine as stars into a dark world, they sacrifice as they hold fast to the word of life. And these sacrifices were all prepared with joy and rejoicing. That is the law of sacrifice. That sacrifices need to and should produce joy and rejoicing. Giving something unto the Lord should cause our hearts to be filled with joy to the point that we rejoice in our sacrifices.
Perhaps, the question to us is... does sacrifice brings joy to our hearts? Does sacrifice equal to joy for us?
For me, I know the answer is not always a yes. And I want to be able to change so much more in that... I really want to be able to have that joy in my heart that nothing can take away.
Something to ponder over the couple of days... like a cow... chewing on the grass :PLabels: my time with Him |
ranted by Jerraine @ 7:03 AM  |
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