Sacrifice

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. - Romans 6:5

There is a theme of sacrifice that is very strong in the Christian tradition, and we can see many references to sacrifice in Scripture. The book of Acts describes how members of the early church sacrificed their own possessions and held all their resources in common so that each had what they needed. In the Gospels, Jesus tells a rich young man to sell all his possessions and give the money to the poor, tells his disciples that those who want to lead must be a slave to all, and maybe most bluntly, in this Sunday’s gospel Jesus warns that unless you sacrifice all you hold dear to follow him, you are not worthy of the Kingdom of God. “You must lose your life to find it,” he says.

In less anxious times, these admonitions may strike us as metaphorical or symbolic. But these days, as the injustices of our society come more and more into 2020 focus, we realize that Jesus was not just speaking poetically, but was really asking us to put our faith into practice through making personal sacrifices. If we have money, we are called to give it the poor. If we have food, we are called to feed the hungry. If we have health, we are called visit the sick. If we have our freedom, we are called to reach out to those in prison. Jesus bluntly recommend that we give away, sacrifice, our money, time and energy to others who have less.

We know that loosing the bonds of injustice means doing more than just posting our opinions on Facebook. As the unfair effects of systemic racism in our society become more obvious in our current moment, those of us who have benefited from this system are wondering just how we are being called to sacrifice so as to make more room for those who have been hurt by it to stand tall.

It’s frightening to join a march during a pandemic. It’s a stretch to send money when the economy is so ‘iffy’ to support important causes. It takes lots of time to write to our legislators or lobby in Concord. But many of us are feeling the call to sacrifice our usual comforts and complacency to work toward the greater good.

And if our Scriptures are to be believed, finding ways to sacrifice are at the heart of what it means to do this = and to be a Christian. Jesus specifically calls us to find ways to give, to let go of what we have and to share. We’re called to allow others to go first, to give up our need to control, to listen to the opinions of others before asserting our own. To give not just from our surplus, but to carve out a sacrifice from the wallet that seems to contain what we feel we personally need. We’re called to share our gifts, resources and strength with others even when it feels risky to do so. We’re called to sacrifice even when it feels like it might lead to the death of how things have always been.

But as Paul says, those of us who have been united with Christ in his death will also be raised with him. Walking in the way of the cross is by no means simple or comfortable, but it is the kind of sacrificial faith Jesus modeled for us with his own life. Thank God we have the support of our brothers and sisters in Christ to practice our faith - standing up when it would be safer to sit down, reaching out when it would be easier to pull in and letting go when it would feel more secure to hold on.

The readings for this Sunday are HERE.

Ordinary time offers many readings to contemplate each Sunday. Track 1 will lead you through certain Old Testament books week by week more in depth. Track 2 provides an Old Testament text that is meant to compliment the Gospel of the week.