“I live by faith in the Son of God who has loved me and given himself up for me.” – Galatians 2:20
One of my high school history teachers served in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserves. During the Vietnam War he was called up to active duty. However, as the result of a health issue, or for some other reason, he was honorably discharged before being sent into the war.
Somehow my teacher came to know of the gentleman who had taken his place in the unit. That man was eventually killed in action.
When I was in high school, this particular teacher organized a weeklong field trip to Washington, D.C. I was blessed to join him, along with a busload of 50 other eleventh and twelfth grade students. It was fascinating to see the U.S. Capitol Building, the White House, and the Lincoln Memorial. However, perhaps the most moving moment came when we visited the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
The stark, black wall stretched along a straight line, nearly as far as the eye could see. Etched into its ebony façade were the names of over 58,000 American soldiers who had died in Vietnam. People paced slowly and reverently alongside the wall, soaking in the names and their own somber reflections, which stared back at them from the depths of the wall’s dark, glossy veneer.
Before long, I noticed that my history teacher had stopped and was kneeling in front of a particular name that had been engraved on the lower portion of the wall. And, he was weeping. He cried in a way that few grown men would have the courage to cry. He had found the name of the soldier who had taken his place. “It should have been me,” I heard him say. “Thank you.”
I was reminded of this memory by the Gospel passage for this Sunday. It is a story from Luke 7, wherein a sinful woman bathes Jesus’ feet with her tears while he is dining at the house of a Pharisee. When questioned about this by the Pharisee, Jesus explained through a parable that the more we are indebted to a person, the more we love that person. The more forgiveness we receive, the greater our love for the one who has forgiven us.
We must never forget that Jesus died for our sins. He paid our debt, and He forgives us, if we can summon up the humility to acknowledge our sinfulness, repent, and turn to Him. If we do, we too will be overwhelmed with gratitude and love.
Merciful God, forgive our sins and renew in our hearts an appreciation for your love. Amen.
