Self-sacrifice ∙∙

Self-sacrifice ∙∙

There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. – John 15:13

Romans 5:6-10

 6 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.

 7 Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good.

 8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

 10 For since the death of his Son restored our friendship with God while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.

Albrecht Durer created the renowned ink and pencil sketch “Praying Hands” in 1508. The drawing is simple yet meticulous, depicting solely the hands of a praying man with the rest of his body hidden from view.

However, the story behind this artwork is particularly poignant, heartwarming, and inspiring. It tells a tale of familial affection, selflessness, respect, and devotion, narrated in J. Greenwald’s most famous account.

Albrecht Durer Sr., a goldsmith and father to 18 children, would labor for nearly 18 hours daily to provide for his family. Two of his sons, Albrecht Jr. and Albert aspired to be artists. However, the financial burden of formal education for both was far beyond what the family could afford.

The brothers devised a strategy. One would labor in the nearby mines and use his earnings to finance the other’s art education in Nuremberg. After four years, they would exchange roles, with the educated brother funding the other’s studies either through mining work or art sales. It was decided by the toss of a coin. Albrecht Jr. went to art school while Albert took up work in the mines. Albrecht Jr.’s etchings, woodcuts, and oil paintings were exceptional, quickly earning him large commissions.

Upon his return to the village, the Durer family celebrated Albrecht Jr. with a festive dinner. After the meal, Albrecht Jr. made a toast to his devoted brother, stating, “And now, Albert, blessed brother of mine, now it is your turn. Now you can go to Nuremberg to pursue your dream, and I will take care of you.”

Albert sat there, tears cascading down his pallid face, his head shaking from side to side as he wept. Over and over again, he muttered, “No, no, no. No, brother. I cannot go to Nuremberg. It is too late for me. Look what four years in the mines have done to my hands!”

The bones in every finger had been broken or crushed at least once. Arthritis had taken hold, and his hands could no longer make delicate lines on parchment or canvas with a pen or a brush.

Albrecht Durer’s extensive collection of exquisite portraits, pen and silver-point sketches, watercolors, charcoals, woodcuts, and copper engravings adorn numerous esteemed museums worldwide. However, his most recognized piece is “Praying Hands.”

As the story goes, Albrecht Durer painstakingly drew his brother’s bused and broken hands stretched skyward in prayer. He simply titled this evocative drawing “Hands.” But the world soon embraced his great masterpiece and renamed his tribute to love “Praying Hands.”

Albrecht Durer’s magnum opus, “Praying Hands,” symbolizes the quintessence of self-sacrificial love for all eternity. How does one define self-sacrificial love? It is the act of forfeiting one’s personal interests or well-being for the benefit of another. Self-sacrificial love embodies the readiness to compromise and give up things you value for the well-being and success of another.

REFLECT & PRAY

“Above all the grace and the gifts that Christ gives to his beloved is that of overcoming self” (St. Francis of Assisi).

Father if only I had a smidgen of the immense self-sacrificial love that You and Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, possess.

INSIGHT

 John 15:12-13

 12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.

 13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

We may be ready to lay down our lives for family, friends, or even strangers in exceptional circumstances. But how many of us would be willing to make such a sacrifice for those who have wronged us, our enemies, or our tormentors

Yet, that is precisely what the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ did. We were once sinners of the worst kind, willfully disobedient and rebellious foes. A number of us, now children of the King, once denied His existence, ridiculed Him, and even bore hatred towards Him!

Romans 5:6, 8

 6 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.

 8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

In our wildest dreams, we can’t envision this ever happening. But it did! The Lord Jesus Christ gave His life for each one of us when we were at our worst – disobedient, rebellious, defiant, and godless.

How can we be sure of the Father’s love for us? It is encapsulated in a single sentence about the Lord Jesus Christ: “He died on a piece of wood, yet He made the hill upon which it stood!” (Hal Lindsey)

Most of us understand and appreciate grand, one-off sacrifices. But what about the small, daily sacrifices in our interpersonal relationships? This is where the real test begins for each of us. Choosing to serve, yield, and compromise are among the most challenging lessons that we are meant to learn as children of the King.

Are you willing to apologize when you’re in the wrong? Are you ready to forgive those who have wronged you? Trouble is as common to humans as sparks flying from a fire (Job 5:7).

Interpersonal relationships can be messy and complicated. Challenges, disagreements, offenses, illness, and disappointments are part of the journey. It is here that personal integrity and strength of character are forged. Love and commitment equip us to face life’s adversities together. Self-sacrificial love does not hold grudges or keep score.

It’s as if each of us holds an internal balance scale. The wrongs of others are piled on one side, good deeds on the other. We must devise methods to permanently discard the accumulated pile of wrongs for our emotional health. Without this, the scales will never be balanced. Have you learned to unload the wrongs from your scale of balances?

As we mature in our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, self-sacrificial love becomes a way of life. What we once saw as sacrifices no longer seems so. They become expressions of the Father’s love that we’ve finally learned to speak.

Regrettably, for many of us, it is the most challenging language to learn and master.

As children of the King, we have the ultimate example of self-sacrificial love in the Lord Jesus Christ.

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© Dr. H 2024