Laying Down One's Life

When Walt Kowalski (acted by Clint Eastwood in the movie Grand Torino) died under a torrent of bullets fired by Hmong gangsters, I thought, "He sacrified himself to save his Hmong neighbour Thao." Walt had gone alone, after locking the teenaged Thao in his basement, to confront the gang who assaulted Thao's sister. Rather than engage in revenge killing of the gangsters, this Korean War veteran, who did not hesitate to use his M-1 rifle to protect his property, went unarmed. Walt's death rid the neighbourhood of the gangsters who were taken into police custody.

In real life, too, we have often heard or read of heros who risk or even lose their lives for others. One who comes to my mind is the foreman who died saving his fellow workers when the MRT construction site at Nicoll Highway collapsed some years ago. Another heroic person whom I personally met was a Myanmar pastor who had dedicated himself to ex-lepers sacrificially by living in the ex-lepers' colony with them and risking contagion of the disease. I also vaguely recall reading media report about a mother who protected her baby with her body during the Szechuan earthquake.

Love - for fellow workers, for the needy outcast, for loved ones in the family - is the key motivator for one who lays down his life for others. The Lord Jesus, when He gave the command to His followers to love each other as He had loved them, said, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15 : 12 - 13)

And this Easter season, we remember Jesus's love and sacrificial death on the cross. "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us." (1 John 3 : 16) Jesus died not just for His disciples. He died for all who believe in Him and for all who have yet to believe in Him.

"11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep......
14 I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me --
15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father -- and I lay down my life for the sheep.
16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd."
(John 10 : 11, 14 - 16)

Yes, Jesus laid down His life but He has taken it up again. (John 10 : 17 - 18). And so, Christians celebrate the risen Christ. (Matthew 28 : 5 - 6). Hallelujah! He is risen!