Wednesday, September 3, 2014

"Dying For Somebody Like That"

  I was facing the possibility of being drafted into the Vietnam war. I'm grateful I wasn't but many of my friends were and some lost their lives. I can't imagine what families went through. Then I heard this come across my desk. He was a graduate of West Point Academy and was sent to Vietnam to lead a group of new recruits into battle. This young man was very well trained and kept his men from ambush and death. After some time, one night he and his men were overtaken by a group of Viet Cong. The West Point graduate was able to get all but one man to safety. The one soldier had been severely wounded and from their trenches, the young lieutenant could hear the wounded comrade moaning, crying out for help. He knew there would be great risks to leave the trench but the lieutenant had to help as he felt responsible for all. 
  The young lieutenant crawled out of the place of safety toward the cries of the dying man. He safely got to him and was able to drag him back. Upon pushing the wounded man into the safety of the trench, the young lieutenant caught a bullet in the back and was killed instantly.
  Months later the rescued man returned to the United States and when the parents of the dead hero heard that he was in their vicinity, they planned a dinner for him. They wanted to know this young man whose life was spared at such a great cost to them. On the night of the dinner party, their guest for whom they had waited so long to meet, arrived...drunk! He was loud and boisterous. He told jokes that were unfitting and showed no concern for the family of the young lieutenant that rescued him. The parents of this dead hero did their best to make it all worthwhile but their efforts were unrewarded. Finally, at the end of the torturous visit, their obscene, drunken guest left. The mother collapsed in tears weeping loudly and said, "To think that our precious son had to die for somebody like that!"
  Listen carefully and bring God into view in your heart. From man's perspective: "For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die."  From God's perspective: "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinner, Christ died for us." (Rom. 5:7-8)
  We were yet sinners! We were the vile and embarrassing! We were the drunk, the profane, the horrible and yet God demonstrated His love and Jesus died for us. What are we going to do with that?

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