Remembering The Sacrifices That Make Us Free
Word-Of-The-Day: ‘Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.’ (John 15:13)
Being the day before Independence Day, or the ‘4th of July’, I think of the price paid by others not just to form our nation, as a respite from tyranny to provide freedom through the (eventual) creation of a Constitutional Republic, so that future Americans like us would have the ability to worship freely, speak freely, and move about freely. This freedom has been kept in place by many others have served our nation, as military members and first responders. It is more than just burgers and hot dogs on the grill and fireworks at night, though those things are also done freely thanks to the sacrifice of those who come before us.
A couple of the many examples of this sacrifice come to mind. The signers of the Declaration of Independence were wanted men by the British as they were deemed traitors to the crown. All of them suffered some loss, and for a few their wives and children were brutalized, imprisoned, or killed. Many lost their wealth, their health, and their property to do what they believed was a Righteous cause.
One signer was John Hart of New Jersey, whose wife was on her deathbed and he risked his life to go see her. He escaped the dragnet of the British army, but had to leave his wife, his 13 children, and his farm and home behind. After months of sleeping in caves and little food to eat, Hart came back to find his wife buried, his 13 children taken away, and his farm and home ransacked. He never saw his children again, and died a sick, broken man in 1779.
The second example is more personal. I remember Navy Lieutenant Commander Vince Tolbert, who I knew while I worked at US Central Command in the mid to late 1990s. He was transferred to the Pentagon in August 2001, and was killed during the terrorist attack on 11 September 2001 (more commonly referred to as 9/11). He was a good leader, husband and father, and always had a smile, not always a requisite for military officers. Perhaps one could say he was in the wrong place at the wrong time in history, but he died doing what he was called to do; serving his nation. Commander Tolbert is buried in Arlington National Cemetery outside of DC in Virginia, and the Joint Intelligence Center-CENTCOM building is named after him, and carries the nickname ‘The Vince’.
We think of these sacrifices and the verse John 15:13 on patriotic holidays, such as Independence Day or Memorial Day, or when we hear of a first responder or military member is killed while performing their duties. Jesus spoke of this verse to His Apostles at the Last Supper, to let them know how much He loved them – and us, knowing He was about to be the Ultimate Sacrifice. His sacrifice on the cross was not to be seen in the darkness of loss but the light of His love.
Not all sacrifices one gives may be up to the loss of life; sometimes it’s giving to someone to the point of where one must do without to help another; one may modify their life or their lifestyle, to aid another. It may be a child who moves home to help elderly parents, or a parent giving money they set aside to take care of personal needs, and give it up for a friend’s or child’s needs.
Jesus’ examples of sacrifice should be seen both individually and holistically; His death on the cross, His willingness to leave Heaven to live with us on Earth, taking His time to go heal and talk to others. Jesus’ entire life was one of sacrifice that He did not have to do, but did anyway for the good of others.
John 3:16-17 cannot be fulfilled without John 15:13; Jesus had to be that Ultimate Sacrifice so we could be free from the tyranny of sin. We accept the freedoms provided by our Founding Fathers and to those who served or are serving our nation, and we need to accept the freedom Jesus provides us – if we only give up our sinful nature and accept Him as Lord!
Not all sacrifices are heroic, and not all sacrifices are the loss of one’s life. All sacrifices are life-altering, however little. Give of yourself to someone else, whether it be your time, treasure, or talents. It is the best expression of love you can give.
