"Greater love has no one than this; to lay down one's life for a friend." John 15:13
Forty plus years ago, after Barbara and I were married, my dad would often come by to visit and help with projects around the house. At that time he still smoked though he tried to quit several times. We told him he was welcome to smoke just not in the house. He realized that the smell of smoke, once in the house, would be everywhere. He was very gracious and for us he was willing to go out to the patio when he wanted to smoke.
About the same time there was a young man, maybe mid-twenties or so, where I worked. He was a nice enough fella maybe a bit full of himself so to speak, but likable. He and I got along well and would talk and share stories. One such story, and this brings me to my point, was about a time when he and his wife went out of town to visit some friends. The friends had a spare bedroom and had invited them to spend the night. All was fine until bedtime, which is when the friends asked them not to smoke in the house.
He was telling me that this made them a bit mad that their friends were putting this on them. So they snuck back into the kitchen got some tinfoil and made their own ash tray. He was so proud of himself for being so clever and getting away with it. I’m sure he didn’t realize his friends knew all about this and they felt betrayed that they wouldn’t sacrifice a cigarette for them.
All through the Bible people are willingly sacrificing their goods, their comforts, their freedoms even their lives for the good of others. Then there is Jesus who totally unfairly but willingly endured and sacrificed everything for us/me. Makes me think, what am I willing to sacrifice, what inconvenience am I willing to endure for the good of another. On the other hand what part of me is like the couple above who doesn’t want to be inconvenienced or sacrifice what I want?
You know, it isn't really a sacrifice, if it's convenient and easy.