Matthew 26:28 (NKJV)
"For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
1 Corinthians 16:14
“Do everything in love."
"For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
1 Corinthians 16:14
“Do everything in love."
On 7 December 1988 a devastating earthquake in northern Armenia killed 25,000 and left hundreds of thousands homeless in the Soviet republic. The 6.8 magnitude quake affected an area 80km (50 miles) in diameter. The quake struck at 11:41AM local time when children were at school and most adults were at work. Having been to Armenia recently, I can see by the aftermath how this story below would have occurred.
In his book called, “Bold Love,” Max Lucado tells the story about a mother and her four-year-old daughter who were trapped beneath tons of collapsed concrete and steel after the worst earthquake in the history of Soviet Armenia in 1988. In the darkness, the mom heard her child cry out, “Mommy, I’m so thirsty. I want a drink. Mommy, I need a drink. Please give me something.”
But there was nothing for Susanna to give. She was trapped flat on her back. Feeling around in the darkness, she found a jar of blackberry jam and gave the entire jar to her daughter to eat. It was gone by the second day. “Mommy, I’m so thirsty.” Susanna knew she would die, but she wanted her daughter to live. She found a dress and made a bed for her daughter. Though it was bitter cold, she took off her stockings and wrapped them around the child to keep her warm. The two were trapped for eight days.
Because of the darkness, Susanna lost track of time. Because of the cold, she lost the feeling in her fingers and toes. Because of her inability to move, she lost hope. A merciful sleep occasionally freed her from the horror of her entombment, but the sleep would be brief. Something always awakened her: the cold, the hunger, or most often, the voice of her daughter. “Mommy, I’m thirsty.”
At some point in that eternal night, Susanna had an idea. “I had no water, no fruit juice, no liquids. It was then that I remembered I had my own blood.” Her groping hand, numb from the cold, found a piece of shattered glass. She sliced open her left index finger and gave it to her daughter to suck. The drops of blood weren’t enough. “Please, Mommy, some more. Cut another finger.” Susanna has no idea how many times she cut herself. She only knows that if she hadn’t, her daughter would have died. Her blood was her daughter’s only hope.
That’s love in action. And that’s the love that Jesus has for each one of us when He spilled out His blood to quench the cry of our sins. Love ultimately isn’t about us; love is about Him!
In his book called, “Bold Love,” Max Lucado tells the story about a mother and her four-year-old daughter who were trapped beneath tons of collapsed concrete and steel after the worst earthquake in the history of Soviet Armenia in 1988. In the darkness, the mom heard her child cry out, “Mommy, I’m so thirsty. I want a drink. Mommy, I need a drink. Please give me something.”
But there was nothing for Susanna to give. She was trapped flat on her back. Feeling around in the darkness, she found a jar of blackberry jam and gave the entire jar to her daughter to eat. It was gone by the second day. “Mommy, I’m so thirsty.” Susanna knew she would die, but she wanted her daughter to live. She found a dress and made a bed for her daughter. Though it was bitter cold, she took off her stockings and wrapped them around the child to keep her warm. The two were trapped for eight days.
Because of the darkness, Susanna lost track of time. Because of the cold, she lost the feeling in her fingers and toes. Because of her inability to move, she lost hope. A merciful sleep occasionally freed her from the horror of her entombment, but the sleep would be brief. Something always awakened her: the cold, the hunger, or most often, the voice of her daughter. “Mommy, I’m thirsty.”
At some point in that eternal night, Susanna had an idea. “I had no water, no fruit juice, no liquids. It was then that I remembered I had my own blood.” Her groping hand, numb from the cold, found a piece of shattered glass. She sliced open her left index finger and gave it to her daughter to suck. The drops of blood weren’t enough. “Please, Mommy, some more. Cut another finger.” Susanna has no idea how many times she cut herself. She only knows that if she hadn’t, her daughter would have died. Her blood was her daughter’s only hope.
That’s love in action. And that’s the love that Jesus has for each one of us when He spilled out His blood to quench the cry of our sins. Love ultimately isn’t about us; love is about Him!
I am by no means saying for any of us to do, what this women did, though I commend her for such an unselfish act of love. I am acutely aware of what Jesus did for me. My sins cried, "I thirst." Jesus said, "drink." The unselfish act of satisfying all of our thirst is shown on the cross. "I wasn't even born yet," you say. Well, that makes it all the more significant. Jesus died to satisfy sin even before you were born, knowing your condition would demand a ransom. "What would Jesus do?", you may ask? "He would love first", this is what He would do--and did.
ACTION STEP: Today, practice loving first. Today, practice sacrificial love. Today, give what you've got. Today, think about what you have, that can be poured out for others. You and I have today. No one is promised tomorrow. Love is an action.
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