“Do not neglect to do good and share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” Hebrews 13:16

Making Sacrifices

Something happens when we sacrifice. We give up something for Lent and we acquire self-discipline and willpower. When we forgive another person we let go of our feelings of resentment, and we end up setting each other free. Henry Ward Beecher once said, “In this world it is not what we take up, but what we give up that makes us rich.” Giving up does not mean that we are losing, but instead that we sacrifice one thing to obtain something better. True and lasting love is rooted in sacrifice. When two people get married, each partner sacrifices into the relationship. Parents make sacrifices for the welfare of their children, and as a result of these sacrifices there is strength and family unity. Down through history it has been the sacrifices of others that have made human progress possible. Many have sacrificed their lives for the sake of some just cause greater than themselves. On Palm Sunday we commemorate Jesus’ triumphal entrance into Jerusalem. As he rode along people waved palm branches and spread their cloaks on the road ahead. Jesus knows the sacrifice he must make, but just for now there are the Hosannas.

lhart@gwi.net