Readings for the day: Matthew 8:1-4, 9:1-17, 12:1-21, Mark 1:40-45, 2, 3:1-21, Luke 5:12-39, 6:1-19
One of my favorite movies is Hacksaw Ridge. It tells the story of Demond Doss who won the Medal of Honor for his courage during the Battle of Okinawa where he single-handedly saved 75 men. Doss was a combat medic who famously became a conscientious objector and refused to carry a weapon or kill an enemy soldier even in self-defense. Doss was persecuted for his devout Christian beliefs. He was frequently abused as his superiors attempted to drum him out of the army. He was even court-martialed. However, he persevered and served with great distinction. He won several awards for valor as he rushed into the heat of battle to save lives. His greatest moment came when his company attacked and tried to capture Hacksaw Ridge. They were met by a deadly counterattack by the Japanese and less than a third of the men made it safely down the cliff face to safety. Doss stayed behind. He prayed, “Lord, help me get one more.” And back onto the battlefield he went. Dragging one man after another to safety and lowering them down the cliff. For twelve hours he worked. Saving one soldier every ten minutes. It was truly miraculous. On May 5, 1945, as the army formed up to retake the ridge, they waited for Doss to finish his devotions and pray for them before going into battle. It was the Sabbath day. Doss was wounded four times on Okinawa. He saved lives by taking the brunt of a grenade blast which left shrapnel in his arm. While being evacuated, he saw a wounded soldier and rolled off the stretcher to treat him. He gave up his stretcher for the man and while he waited, was shot by a sniper. Desperately wounded, he crawled 300 yards to an aid station under heavy fire where he was rescued.
What does this movie have to do with Jesus? I truly believe when God looks down on the earth, He sees a war raging. A battlefield strewn with the bodies of those he loves. They are broken. Wounded. Hurting. Struggling to survive. Lepers. Paralytics. Withered hands. Blind. Deaf. Lame. We come in all shapes and sizes and all of us are under relentless, ruthless attack by the enemy. Into this world steps Jesus. He prays to His Heavenly Father, “help me get one more.” Lepers are cleansed. Paralytics rise and walk. Withered hands are restored. Blind receive sight. Deaf hear. The lame dance. The enemy tries to stop him. They accuse Him of blasphemy. Eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners. Working on the Sabbath. But Jesus came for the sick not the well. He came for the sinners not the self-righteous. Jesus prizes mercy over sacrifice. Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath. Jesus would eventually be killed for His beliefs. He would give His life on a Cross.
The world is still a battlefield. A war rages all around us each and every day. The enemy’s attacks are relentless and ruthless. The devil wants to cause as much pain as he possibly can. He seeks to devour and destroy all God loves. Into this world, Jesus sends His people. To be His hands and feet. To come alongside the lost and lonely and hurting in our world. To bring healing and hope in His name. The church is like a MASH unit in the midst of this great spiritual battle. And Jesus sends us out to save lives one at a time. Is it dangerous? Yes. Will it be costly? Yes. Will we find ourselves tired and exhausted at times? Absolutely. Wounded along the way? You bet. But our passion for the casualties of this war must outweigh our comfort. Our sense of safety and well-being. Christ gave His life for us. Are we not called to give the same in return? Today, and everyday, may your prayer be as you leave your home, “Lord, help me get just one more.”