The Lenten season was designed to help Christians prepare
for the coming Easter season. One of the
vehicles for that preparation is a reflection of the sacrifices that Christ
gave during the Passion Week. An obvious
one is the gift of his own, human life.
That God incarnate would come to earth, and suffer the most horrible
torture that the Roman Empire could devise is cause for us not only to be
grateful, but for us to prepare ourselves to make sacrifices in the service of
our God. However, Christ was not the
only one who sacrificed. God the Father,
also gave is only son so that whoever would believe in him would not perish,
but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) Parents are the ultimate model for
sacrifice. Starting when a child is
first conceived, the mother’s body begins to sacrifice nutrients and its own
needs in order to provide for the growing fetus. After not too long, the mother’s body begins
to develop morning sickness and many mothers have to sacrifice their
breakfasts, lunch, and dinners to the porcelain god to keep the fetus
safe. Once the baby is born, parent’s
worlds change forever. They must give up
sleep, time, money, and any sense of a social life that they used to have, in
order that their child is cared for and protected. We think that once a child reaches the age of
adulthood, that they can care for themselves, and that the parents work of
sacrificing for the child is finished.
That is just not so. Once a
parent becomes a grandparent they are often called upon to babysit and do many
other things that are necessary for their children and grandchildren.
Once a parent goes through all that hard work, the idea that they could ever give up their own child is almost unbelievable Yet, of you believe in Covenant Theology, it was the agreement that the Father had with Christ from before the beginning of the earth. Jesus would be the redeemer of the lost. Human relationships are imperfect and corrupt. The relationship between the Trinity is perfect and divine. Imagine the feeling of giving up someone whom you have lived in perfect unity with for all of eternity, and for what??? So that we, a sinful, deprived people could be brought back into union with them, for eternity. What a sacrifice!
I am so thankful for the sacrifices of both my parents and my in-laws. During this difficult transitional journey that Emily and I have been on, they have been nothing but supportive, financially, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I am forever in your debt, and I hope that I can honor your sacrifices with the future work I do. All four of you are my heros. You exemplify the essence of Father God as you let your actions scream louder than your words. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
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