Was
His Death Worth It?
by Dr. D.A.
Farmer, pastor
1 John 3:12
“Behold,
what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be
called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it
knew him not. 3:2
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear
what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be
like him; for we shall see him as he is”
(1
John 3:12). I
hold here in my hand Email devotion I received from Chuck Colson’s
“BreakPoint” (see last page of this web page sermon). He has a
weekly email devotion. He reports that there is a movie and video called
“Saving Private Ryan” that has hit with a huge impact. It is called
another masterpiece by director Steven Spielberg. After reading Chuck
Colson “BreakPoint” devotion I went to Spielberg’s web page and
discovered that it won 5 Oscars. I feel what made this movie so popular
is because of its honest treatment of deep moral questions. Questions
that lead us to consider the debt of gratitude each of us owe for
our very own life. The movie begins with a realistic reenactment of the D - day
invasion of Normandy. The film is portrayed through the eyes of Capt.
John Miller, which is played by actor Tom Hanks. Capt. Miller is
instructed that he is to lead a search party to find a certain Private
Ryan. Private Ryan had three brothers that had been killed in battle.
And the U.S. army didn’t want to take the chance of the last living
son to be killed. He was to be sent home to his now grieving mother. But
no sooner do Capt. Miller and his troop begin their search for Private
Ryan behind German lines than a Pandora's box of several moral questions
is opened. Questions like: “Why are all these men risking their lives
to save one man? Don't
they have mothers, too?” As the movies continues one by one of Capt. Miller’s soldiers are
killed. This only causes the questions to intensify. After all, just how
much is one man's life worth? The last one to die was Capt. Miller
himself. But just before he dies he looks at Private Ryan and says; “Make
this worth while. Earn this. Live a good moral life. Be someone that
this country can be proud of.” Some
50 years later as the movie comes to an end Private Ryan is visiting the
graves of the men who died to save his life. The very ones who literally
sacrificed their own lives so he could go back home. Looking at their
tombstones he says: "I lived my life the best I could.
I hope I've earned what you've done for me." But
apparently he has some gnawing doubts. Ryan turns to his wife and says:
"Tell me I've lived a good life. Tell me I'm a good man. Tell me
my life was worth them giving up theirs.” She answers him; "Yes
you’re good man." But is her answer correct? Was his life worth the sacrifice of
the other men? How would the parents of the dead soldiers have answered
that question? Would they have seen the death of many worth the life of
one? Friends behind Private Ryan's questions to his wife lay the clear
reality, which however good we are, however much we’ve accomplished in
our lives, we could never ever repay such a debt. When any of us stop to think of our debt we owe to all the young men
and women who gave their life so we can have the freedom we enjoy today
we have to ask how do we repay a debt like that? The truth is we cannot.
We can only express our gratitude. I hope you know where I’m going with this. You see I believe there
is a parallel to the Gospel found here in this movie that is very
powerful. Although you may not have seen the movie “Saving Private
Ryan” hopefully you have read the story of how God Himself gave His
Son's life so that we might live. And the question comes back: How does
one repay Him for such a gift? Spielberg may not have intended to raise this parallel; but
when you characterize reality as effectively in a movie as he has, the
Gospel is not hard to find. Return to our scripture again in 1 John 3:1. Friends If there
is anything in this world that should inspire our enthusiasm, it is the
Cross of Calvary. Think about it. Christ actually bore the punishment of
sin; “Death”. Through our repentance and faith in Him, His
righteousness is imputed to sinners like us so that we might become like
holy like Him (see SPTED pg. 22). The
moment any sinner believes in Jesus, he or she stands in the sight of
God uncondemned. Christ's perfect obedience is credited to them. The
ransom paid by Jesus is sufficient for the salvation of every man,
woman and child. But His ransom will only help those who become new
creatures in Christ. Those who are loyal to God. Ones that live a life
that is; true – honest – pure and Holy. Christ's work here on this earth was to restore mankind back
to his original state. To heal everyone from the wounds and bruises made
by sin. Christ died to rescue every man, women and child. But very few
accept him as their savior. Now
I don’t mean to make you feel guilty; but how many of the lost have
you sought out lately to
show what Christ is really like? One great Gospel writer once wrote;
“Angels of heaven weep, while human eyes are dry when it comes to
saving a lost soul” {see COL 191 and 192}. Who
can estimate the value of a soul? One only needs to go to Gethsemane for
the answer. There watch as Jesus goes through those long hours of
anguish. His sweat was like great drops of blood. After Gethsemane look
at Him upon the uplifted cross. Listen to His despairing cry, "My
God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?"
Look upon His wounded head, His pierced side and His marred feet. Never
forget that Christ risked everything and was even "tempted like as we are."
Heaven itself was in jeopardy for our redemption. Always
remember that for only one sinner Jesus would have still yielded up His
life. That is the value of a soul to Jesus. Friends, if we are to love
and serve Jesus fully we will place this same value upon others. When we
feel for others the same devotion, the same deep love that Jesus has
felt for us, then we will be able to win, not force, others to Him. We
will be able to attract, not offend, the very souls for whom Christ
died. We will guard and care for the sheep and lambs of His fold. Not
one of us here today would be saved if Christ had not made a personal
effort to go to the front battle line for us. And it is by this same
personal effort, the front line battle that we must go to help rescue
lost souls. We will leave the ninety and nine that are within God’s
fold and go seeking the missing. All heaven is ready to cooperate with
us in this work. To end this morning let me tell the story about a wealthy man
and his son. Both of them loved to collect rare works of art. It seemed
they had everything in their Art collection. From Van Goghs, to Rembrandts to Picasso. It was a beautiful
collection. When the war broke out in Vietnam, the son had to go to war.
He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another
soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.
About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at his
door. And there stood a young man with a large package in his hands. He
said; "Sir, you don't know me, but I’m the soldier for whom
your son gave his life for. He saved many lives that day, and he was
carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and killed
him instantly. Sir, he often talked about you and your love for art.”
The young man held out his package. "I know this isn't much. I'm
not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to
have this." The
father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the
young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the
personality of his son in the painting. He thanked the young man and
offered to pay him for the picture. "Oh, no sir, I could never
repay what your son did for me. It's a gift." The
father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to
his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed
them any of the other great works he had collected. The man died just a
few shorts months later. There was to be a great auction of his
paintings. Many prominent people gathered, excited over seeing the great
paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their
collection. On the platform sat the first painting for sale. It was the
painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. "We will start the
bidding with this picture of the mans son. Who will bid for this picture?"
There was silence. Then a voice in the back of the room shouted. "We
want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one." But the
auctioneer persisted. "Will someone bid for this painting? Who
will start the bidding?” $100, $200?"
Another voice shouted angrily. "We didn't come to see this
painting. We came to see the Van Goghs, the Rembrandts. Get on with the
real paintings!" But still the auctioneer continued.
"The son! The son! Who'll
take the son?" Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was
the longtime gardener of the man and his son.
"I'll give $10 for the painting." Being a poor
man, it was all he could
afford. "We have $10, who will bid $20?" "Give it to
him for $10. Let's see the master paintings." "$10 is the bid,
won't someone bid $20?" The crowd was becoming angrier. They
didn't want the picture of the son. They wanted the more worthy
investments for their collections. The auctioneer pounded the gavel. "Going once, twice,
sold for $10!" A man sitting on the second row shouted. "Now
let's get on with the collection!" The auctioneer laid down his
gavel. "I'm sorry, the auction is over." "What
about the other paintings?" came the cry. "I am sorry.”
The auctioneer said. “When I was called to conduct this auction, I
was told of a secret stipulation in the will.” “I was not
allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of
the son would be auctioned.” “Whoever bought that painting would
inherit the entire estate, including the other paintings.
The man who took the son gets every thing!" Friends, God gave this world His son some 2,000 years ago to
die on a cruel Cross. Much like the auctioneer, God’s message is,
"The Son, the Son, who'll take the Son?" Because, you
see, whoever takes the Son gets everything. If you ever see the movie, “Saving Private Ryan” I hope
you make sure you understand the final scene. I mean, just how much is
one man's life worth after all? Then remember that mankind was worth the
sacrifice of the Son of God on a Cross. Then ask yourself; “Were you
worth it?” Friends, have you lived a good, decent and moral life for Him?
Have you accepted His death and accepted the Salvation He offers? Was
His death worth your life? Apparently
Jesus and the Father thought so. 1 John 4:19 says; “We love Him because He first loved us.”
"BreakPoint with Chuck Colson" ("BreakPoint")
The
film has been called Steven Spielberg's masterwork, and it's up for no
fewer than 11 Oscars, including Best Picture. The film is Saving Private
Ryan, and what makes it so good is its brutally honest treatment of
profound moral questions questions that lead us to consider the debt of
gratitude each of us owes for his very life.
It's a concept that is stunningly consistent with a Christian
worldview.
The film opens with a harrowingly realistic reenactment of the
D-day invasion of Normandy. We see the action through the eyes of Capt.
John Miller, played by Tom Hanks. Following D-day, Miller learns
But no sooner do Miller and his party begin their
search for Ryan behind German lines than a Pandora's box of moral
questions is opened: Why are all these men risking their lives to save
one man? Don't they have mothers, too? Are they just pawns in some
cynical PR maneuver by the Pentagon?
As first one, and then another and another of the soldiers in the
rescue party are killed, the questioning intensifies.
After all, just how much is one man's life worth?
The answer comes in a stunning scene at the end of the film. It's
now 50 years later and Private Ryan is visiting the graves of the men
who saved him, who literally gave their lives for his. "I lived my
life the best I could," he says to their tombstones. "I hope
in your eyes I've earned what you've done for me."
But we can see that he has gnawing doubts.
Obviously distraught, Ryan turns to his wife: "Tell me I've
led a good life," he implores. "Tell me I'm a good man."
"You are," she answers him.
But the answer is not convincing. And how could it be? Behind
Ryan's question is the inescapable reality that however good you are and
however much you've accomplished in life, you can never, ever repay such
a debt.
That's a stunning moment in the film, because we, too, think of
our debt to the 18 year old kids who jumped off those landing boats into a
hail of bullets. How do we
repay a debt like that? We have to admit with humility we cannot: We can
only express our gratitude. In fact, columnist George Will has called
the film "a summons to gratitude" for the generation that died
so we might live.
But there is also a parallel to the Gospel here that is so
powerful. God Himself gave His Son's life that we might live. How does
one repay Him for such a gift? Spielberg may not have intended to raise
the parallel, but when you portray reality as effectively as he has, the
Gospel is not hard to find.
Keep that thought in mind if you watch the Oscars on Sunday.
If your own kids have seen the movie, make Sure they understand
that final scene. Ask them:
"Just how much is one man's life worth?"
Then tell them the answer: "It's worth the Son of God
sacrificed on the Cross for us."
Copyright (c) 1999 Prison Fellowship Ministries - By Charles W.
Colson
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Printed From Texarkana SDA Church Website http://www.tagnet.org/texarkana |
