The
king of the world will raise up
to live again forever. 2
Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14
They
called the World War II
generation “the greatest
generation” because they were
willing to sacrifice everything
for the cause of their country.
Subsequent generations became
more pampered. They were more
accustomed to receive rather
than sacrifice. The World War
II generation was ready to die
for what they believed in.
Later generations, some argue,
do not get up off the couch for
anything.
Heroism
comes from strong belief. If
you believe in something strong
enough, you will sacrifice your
life for it. You might give up
your life for your spouse or
your child. But would you be
ready to give it up for your
country for your faith?
The
second book of Maccabees tells
an extraordinary tale of a
family who died rather than eat
port. Pork! They realized that
to do so would betray the faith
of their ancestors. They were
ready to be tortured and killed
in order to encourage others to
keep the faith they had
received.
In
their distress, they held out
hope in a resurrection in which
all that was wrong would be
made right again. They held
this belief even before the
coming of Christ, who would
reveal the nature of the
resurrection to his believers.
As
Christians we hold faith in the
greatest gift of all, eternal
life. Are you willing to lose
your life for this cause? Would
you give up your life to
inspire others and to gain an
everlasting reward?
