Sacrifice

This morning, I was reading the Bible, and I came across two passages that spoke to me about sacrifice. First, 2 Samuel 24 recounts the story when King David decided to do something that was against God’s way. As a result of David’s actions, God sent a plague or pestilence on the kingdom that killed 70,000+ people. (Can you imagine making a mistake that costs so many lives?) At any rate, as the story concludes, David is instructed to build an alter to offer up a burnt offering to God. As David tries to buy the land and oxen for the offering, the owner offers it to King David for free. Here’s David’s response, “No, but I will buy them from you for a price; I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing (v. 24).” At first glance, this strikes me as odd. After all, didn’t David’s mistake cost 70,000 people their lives. Surely, King David had more than enough money to make this purchase seem like nothing. Putting that aside, I was reminded that a sacrifice costs. Are we willing to sacrifice or give up something that costs?

A second passage that I was reading this morning was Mark 10. In this passage, James and John come to Jesus to make a selfish request. They wanted to sit on Jesus’ left and right when they get to heaven. In this story, Jesus asks them if they are willing to make the same sacrifices that he will make (v. 38).

If we are truly going to be fully devoted, all-out followers of Christ, it is going to cost. Are we ready?