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Sacrifice

Jun 26, 2020

Authentic life with God includes sacrifice. That’s what we learn in the Abraham story and again with Jesus. In fact, we do grotesque things to God, our souls, and to our common life when we attempt to engineer life without sacrifice. Sacrifice is the denying or destroying of something to fulfill a holy purpose. Sacrifice is a conscious and gut-wrenching choice. It’s attended by all kinds of loss. Sacrifice acknowledges that we are not the center of the circle. But holy sacrifice produces energy, clarity, humility, power, even partners. It’s the remedy for bifurcation and immobilization. Sacrifice saves us from being tepid. What have you rejected or destroyed just to join Jesus in his holy purposes? The worst abuses of the power of faith happen when we think God does not require the sacrifice of our duplicity, bigotry, and indifference. What Abraham learns in his testing moment is that everything is second to God for him. Everything. Others would join Abraham. Moses sacrificed his comfortable middle-class living to return to Egypt and be a deliverer. Mary sacrificed her reputation to welcome Jesus to her womb. Joseph sacrificed his hopes for a regular marriage to keep Mary and Jesus safe. Paul sacrificed his animosity to become a road sign for redemption. Lydia sacrificed her wealth and business connections to fund the fledgling church. The antidote to the virus of hate in all its forms isn’t ultimately a new program of the government or the church, it’s people being willing to sacrifice their ideologies and reputations for God.

Genesis 22:1-14


For People with Bishop Rob Wright

The new podcast expands on Bishop’s For Faith devotional, drawing inspiration from the life of Jesus to answer 21st-century questions.


“Sacrificio”

La vida autĂ©ntica con Dios incluye sacrificio. Eso es lo que aprendemos en la historia de Abraham y nuevamente con JesĂºs. De hecho, hacemos cosas grotescas a Dios, a nuestras almas y a nuestra vida comĂºn cuando intentamos manejar la vida sin sacrificio. El sacrificio es el negar o destruir algo para cumplir un propĂ³sito sagrado. El sacrificio es una decisiĂ³n consciente y desgarradora. Es asistido por todo tipo de pĂ©rdida. El sacrificio reconoce que no somos el centro del cĂ­rculo. Pero el sacrificio sagrado produce energĂ­a, claridad, humildad, poder, incluso compañerismo. Es el remedio para la bifurcaciĂ³n e inmovilizaciĂ³n. El sacrificio nos salva de ser tibios. ¿QuĂ© has rechazado o destruido solo para unirte a JesĂºs en sus santos propĂ³sitos? Los peores abusos del poder de la fe ocurren cuando pensamos que Dios no requiere el sacrificio de nuestra duplicidad, intolerancia e indiferencia. Lo que Abraham aprende en su momento de prueba es que para Ă©l todo viene despuĂ©s de Dios. Todo. Otros se unirĂ­an a Abraham. MoisĂ©s sacrificĂ³ su cĂ³moda vida de clase media para regresar a Egipto y ser un libertador. MarĂ­a sacrificĂ³ su reputaciĂ³n para recibir a JesĂºs en su vientre. Jose sacrificĂ³ sus esperanzas de un matrimonio regular para mantener a MarĂ­a y a JesĂºs a salvo. Pablo sacrificĂ³ su animosidad para convertirse en una señal de trĂ¡fico para la redenciĂ³n. Lidia sacrificĂ³ su riqueza y sus conexiones comerciales para financiar la nueva iglesia. El antĂ­doto contra el virus del odio en todas sus formas no es, en Ăºltima instancia, un nuevo programa del gobierno o la iglesia, sino las personas estando dispuestas a sacrificar sus ideologĂ­as y su reputaciĂ³n por Dios.

Génesis 22: 1-14