I wrestle with the concept of collective responsibility verses the individual's responsibility and the sacrifice of the individual for the good of the whole. It's a hard thing to understand, especially given our culture. We're all about the individual. We grossly overpay our CEOs. We celebrate being your own person, independence and personal freedom. We cheer individual achievement and being first.
But just because this is our national point-of-view, doesn't mean it is the proper way to view life. It seems we always justify our way of life as being correct because its so successful. Maybe that's why our country is struggling with economic hard times - to help us put life in proper perspective.
So, for our culture, especially, the idea that a mother would give up all five of her sons to pay for another individual's mistakes is incomprehensible. I mourn for Merab, the daughter of Saul, whose five sons die to atone for their grandfather's sins. What did she think? How did she struggle with this? What was her life like after this moment? Did she still believe in God when her sons deaths were necessary to apease Him? I wonder.
Individual sacrifice for the good of all. Merab was powerless to stop the sacrifice. But God was not. The all-powerful Creator of the Universe could have stopped His only sons death. How much harder was it, having the power, He did not use it and allowed His son to die? How much harder was it knowing His son was sinless and was dying for people so full of sin?
We are all about our rights and justice and fairness. Jesus is all about sacrificing all of the above.
No comments:
Post a Comment