A British traveler toured Africa in the early 1800’s. One day in a small village, he saw a slave-owner furiously yelling at a slave. The angry master suddenly threw his spear at the slave, intending to kill him. The British man, yelled, “No!” and put out his arm to block the spear, only to be pierced badly.
As blood spurted from his arm, the British man demanded the release of the slave to his care, saying he had bought him with his blood. The former master grudgingly agreed. As he walked away, the slave threw himself at the feet of his deliverer, saying, “The blood-bought one is now the slave of the man of pity.”
Although the British man gave the slave his freedom, the former slave chose to remain with him, refusing to leave, and delighting to serve the one who saved his life from tyranny and death. There was no life going backward, but only the promise of kindness, friendship, and dignity going forward.
Having your life saved by someone is something you never get over. Jesus… “Gave Himself for our sins, that He might rescue us from this present evil world” (Galatians 1:4). But unlike the British man, Jesus' pity was no accident. Our rescue, from slavery to sin, was planned before the foundation of the world.
The early disciples had the same mindset as the former slave… “After the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared,” there was no going back… “God delivered us from so great a death (Hell) and continues to deliver us (from evil): in Whom we trust He will yet deliver us (as we live for Him)” (2 Corinthians 1:10). What a Friend we have in Jesus.
Truly, “We love Him because He first loved us.”
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