A Living Sacrifice

“ Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. ”

Terror strikes at the heart of people who fear. The fear of sudden and violent death, the loss of loved ones who were simply going about their lives shakes the confidence, the faith people have in their governments, their armies, their God. Therein is the victory of those who foment martyrdom, suicide for glory, terrorism and random assassinations in our world. We never thought such a day would touch us, then came September 11 th . The most costly act of international terrorism: the downing of the twin towers in New York City. The most costly act of domestic terrorism: the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995. Terror has come home to America.

Such terror can only be built on audacity, such audacity in a willingness to die in a glorious cause. That level of commitment is daunting. We wonder what we would be willing to die for, and not being able to think of anything, we crumble at the force of such zeal. If they feel so strongly about it, maybe they're right after all, and we've been wrong. If we've made them that angry, perhaps their reasons are justified.

So goes the logic of terror, and the media playing it up in its quest for sensationalism, lionizes the murderers of children, women, worshipers, and shoppers in downtown Tel Aviv or Baghdad. And we watch unable to explain, unable to help, unable to match this passion with any of our own.

But wait. There is a lie here. There is something wrong, for never before has such evil gotten such global attention. These enemies of peace were never before allowed to play out their self-destruction in such politically potent ways. We have allowed them to frame the question, create an ethic of death, make their statement in martyrdom plausible. It has almost worked. We have continued to call, for instance, the ongoing struggle in Iraq a war . It isn't a war . The war was over years ago. Saddam was caught and his forces surrendered. This is something different than war. This is crime . Iraq is a sovereign nation, and we are not at war with her. These criminals are raging against a peaceful populace and its allies. Wake up and see what it truly is. It is all a great lie.

Martyrdom, holy and otherwise, has ever been a mystery, powerful enough to write new rules of right and wrong, of courage and cowardice. A martyr without a cause—or worse, with a bad cause—may still be seen as heroic if he manages to throw his life away dramatically. Rock stars of the sixties gained greater fame by dying senselessly at the height of their careers and creativity by overdoses of drugs. Evel Knievel's attempts and failures at jumping motorcycles over river gorges awed millions, as his record of forty broken bones from a single accident got him into Guinness. The documentary Grizzly Man is sold by the thousands, as a lunatic young man is eaten by the bears he seeks to save. We dare not look away from such sacrifices of life, but are these truly heroic? Is this the ultimate sacrifice, after all?

I have attended several annual events in Sacramento that honor fallen law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. None of these officers were doing anything wrong when they died, but were attempting to stop evil. They didn't go to work deciding to killing themselves that day, but to use such lawful and moral force as required to end the threat to our peace. And they died for you and me. End of Watch. Honored for their sacrifice. Such is true martyrdom. So also are the deaths of our soldiers who are trying to bring peace and new life to an embattled country far away. These are martyrs. Not their killers. Let's wake up and call it what it is.

But in all this killing and dying, we overlook the truest of all sacrifices. It is hard to die for a cause, and to die young. It wrenches us to see, and grieves us, but there is a greater sacrifice than this. I speak of a living sacrifice. It is in not dying, but going on in the face of death, and committing oneself to a godly cause daily, without stopping, without dying, that honors God most.

In the Epistle today St. Paul admonishes us to “ present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Rom 12:1 This act of extremism is what every Christian man, woman and child is called upon to do. Called by Christ, that is, but seldom mentioned by evangelists, pastors or even priests. If we truly understood this calling, would it make us more or less likely to answer the call?

St. Peter said it a little differently. “You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ... You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light… For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God… if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 1 Peter 2:5, 9, 19-21

People speak of the priesthood of all believers , but do they ever define the term priesthood ? What is a priest ? If all Christians are a holy royal priesthood, what makes them such? Let a priest tell you what a priest is. Not a pastor , a minister , a church official , but a priest is called by God, specially trained and equipped, then consecrated, after which that one offers the sacrifice required of his priesthood, and when God receives it, He blesses it, and returns it to the priest who must then turn around to offer it to those for whom he has been made priest. Priesthood is more an action than an office. It is an offering of sacrifice that makes you or anyone a priest. And it's the sacrifice God has called you to give. What makes every Christian a priest?

You are called by God into His kingdom. You are given the faith of Christ crucified, and all He has commanded you. You are baptized into this faith. You then offer your sacrifice— what is it? Yourself, your heart, your life, every day you have left to you on earth, and your eternity as well. You offer all that on the altar of the cross, upon Christ's shed blood. And He comes, indwells you by His Spirit, blesses your life and your willing sacrifice with Himself, and gives you back your life, now transformed, so that you may turn around and give yourself, and God inside of you, to everyone He gives you in your life. In this way, you are all priests of Jesus Christ and to this living sacrifice are you all called.

My priesthood is the same. Then I have been called to perform certain special sacrifices within the Body for the sake of others, but that is for those who God calls to that peculiar duty. Other peculiar duties call others into service as well. St. Paul, in our Epistle, goes on: “ For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.” Rom 12 cont.

Jesus surprised His Mother Mary and Joseph by staying in the Temple to ask questions and give astute answers to the scribes and priests there. His food was to seek and save the lost, to grow in wisdom and impart the truth. Even at twelve was He aware of His priesthood, of His service to the Father, obedient in life as well as in death. Mary, beside herself with grief, fear and finally relief at finding her blessed son, scolded Him. “Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.” Luke 2:48 Jesus was surprised she didn't know the answer to her own question. It ought to be obvious, but it wasn't. Yes, she was only human. “Why were you searching for me? How is it you didn't know I would have to be about my Father's business, and in His house?” Luke 2:49 In other words, “My life is a living sacrifice. It is my duty to serve my Father. Mother, you know that Joseph is not my real father. I honor him by calling him father, but my Father is above. I must serve Him. My life is only to serve Him and do His bidding. I have been bidden here, among these who are searching for His truth. Why did you spend so long looking everywhere else for me? Wouldn't I have to be here?”

A living sacrifice . It is a martyrdom that carries a heavy price. You don't get to suffer a short time, ending in a blinding flash of glory. You don't die on a cross, or Flight 93, or in uniform, or in a gun battle, or while saving a life. Few ever do. But such brief glory in being cut off suddenly does not eclipse the glory of a life, even a long life, lived well in God's service. That is a living sacrifice, for your life is no longer your own. You have been called by God Himself to come out of this world, to learn deeply of Him, to go down into Christ's grave in your baptism and to die with Him, lying with Him in His tomb. Then you offer your life, and all you have and all you are to God. Nothing less. What do you think you can keep? We all die naked, with nothing in our hands that we can hold on to. And in this living sacrifice, your offering of yourself is acceptable to God, proving He was right to die in your place. And so He indwells you, gives you His Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God now lives inside of you and empowers you to give His grace to each soul that comes along, as He directs. The rest of your life is a continuous gift, God giving through you, a candle burning brightly through the night of this dark world.

What does any terrorist do that comes close to that? In the sight of God, whose sacrifice is greater ? Who shows more passion and zeal, more faith and love for God? Some deranged human bomb, or the elderly lady having lived long and given all she is for Jesus Christ?

PFH+