ODJ: defend this
April 12, 2011
When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners (v.6).
READ: Romans 5:6-11
Columnist Kathleen Parker recalls a defining moment from her high-school years. She had just transferred to a new school when her teacher asked her to diagram a sentence. Parker had never learned this aspect of grammar, so she didn’t have a clue how to do it. Her awkward response evoked derisive laughter from the class.
Instantly, the teacher spun away from the chalkboard and snapped at the students: “She can outwrite any of you any day of the week!” Parker felt relief, vindication—even triumph.
She looks back to that pivotal moment with deep gratitude. “I started that day to try to write as well as he said I could,” she says. Eventually, Parker would win the coveted Pulitzer Prize.
Defending our fellow human beings in their weak and vulnerable moments is a divine attribute, so it’s no surprise that Jesus spent His life doing that. When the disciples considered small children an intrusion on the Lord’s time, Jesus welcomed them (Luke 18:15-17). In the parable of the Good Samaritan, He held up a member of a despised minority group as the protagonist in the powerful story (10:30-35). When scheming religious leaders trapped a woman in adultery and brought her before a crowd at the temple, Jesus shamed her accusers, offering her forgiveness and a better future (John 8:1-11). When we were incapable of helping ourselves, He gave up His very life for us (Romans 5:6).
Defending the defenseless may be as simple as coming alongside another in a show of solidarity and alliance. On rare occasions, it may mean an act of heroism. Regardless, when we defend the vulnerable, we give our brothers and sisters a chance to become what God intends them to be. In a small but significant way, we reflect the heart of God Himself. —Tim Gustafson
How do you feel when you see others suffer? When someone else is the object of mockery? What will you do to show God’s love to the weak and vulnerable today?
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