This week the fallout from the fall of Syrian tyrant Assad’s regime has continued to make news. Syrian rebels have freed numerous prisoners from the corrupt government’s notorious prisons. Many bodies of murdered citizens have also been uncovered and are currently being identified by their families. Syrians are learning more and more about the evils of the Syrian government.
- Corruption
- Abuse of power
- Violence
- Greed
Most citizens were unaware of the lavish lifestyle inside his luxurious palace. Both rebels and citizens have plundered the home of Assad. They have ransacked the marble-lined dining room. Others have confiscated or damaged the tyrant’s massive fleet of vehicles housed in his ridiculous garage.
Bashar Assad was willing to sacrifice his soul and Syrian civilians to stay in power to live in luxury. Greed can cause us to sacrifice our souls for temporary happiness.
What Is Sacrifice
Sacrifice has become a forgotten and misunderstood concept in the 21st-century church. We often think of sacrifice in terms of animals killed as an offering to someone or something. But, sacrifice is much more than just killing animals.
Sacrifice is defined as, “An act of offering to a deity something precious; to suffer a loss or give up, or to kill.” Sacrifice is more than a ritual is an act of humility and obedience. It is meant to cost us something valuable.
Sacrifice has a lot of spiritual significance, especially for the people of God. Our motive to sacrifice isn’t to be cleansed or saved, our motives are obedience and gratitude to God. We love because God first loved and sacrificed for us (John 3:16 1 John 4:19.)
Sacrifice plays a key role in church and the life of believers (John 15:13, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, Romans 6:13; 12:1-21, Galatians 2:20, Ephesians 5:1-2, Philippians 2:17; 4:18, 1 Peter 2:4-10.) The Apostles remembered their Jewish education and history about the importance of sacrifice.
Zāḇaḥ
Sacrifice was a common act in the ancient world. People and nations sacrificed to their gods for protection and prosperity. They believed their pagan gods could be easily manipulated through sacrifice.
The Hebrew word for sacrifice in the Old Testament is zāḇaḥ and it can also mean, “Slaughter, kill, offer, or slay,” depending on the context it was used in. The first sacrifice in the Torah was when God sacrificed an animal to provide clothing for Adam and Eve after they sinned, the next sacrifice where the offerings Cain and Able made to God.
In Judaism sacrifice to foreign gods and idols was forbidden, but common among God’s people to God for specific reasons.
- Olah
- Zebach sh’lamim
- Chatat
- Asham
- Food and drink offerings
- Parah Adumah
Animal sacrifices ended after the destruction of the temple by Rome in 70 C.E. The New Testament begins with the birth of Jesus in the town of sacrifice, Bethlehem, where sacrificial lambs were raised and sent out through the region to be used as sacrifices.
When Jesus began His earthly ministry He called His Disciples to abandon all and follow Him. Disciples sacrificed their earthly lives and goals to follow and live like their rabbis.
Jesus told His disciples they would suffer and many would even die as martyrs for the faith (Matthew 10:16-42, John 14:12.) All the disciples except for John were killed for the faith, even John died in exile. The 12 disciples didn’t live a rich or extravagant life on earth, they sacrificed all to follow their Rabbi and King.
Following Jesus costs us something because we are crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20.) Discipleship means following and obeying your Rabbi, we cannot be greedy like the fallen world we live in.
United Healthcare
For over a week now, the news has been inundated about the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. His murder is presumed to be in response to the corporate greed of the health insurance industry.
Luigi Mangione expressed his angst against the industry in letters and on the bullet casings he used to murder the prominent CEO. Let me be clear I do not condone or champion the horrendous acts of this murderer, nor do I condone the greed and selfishness of the insurance industry in America.
I am only using it as an example of how greed and selfishness can cause us to be ungodly and our pursuits of profit and greatness. Greedy people and corporations refuse to sacrifice because they serve earthly idols.
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