Sermonettes 47
REAL SACRIFICE
A husband and wife joined a party that was traveling around the world. In Korea one day, they saw a field by the side of the road. In the field, a boy pulled a rude plow while an old man held the plow handles and directed it through the rice paddy. The husband was amused and took a snapshot of the scene.
"That's a curious picture. I suppose they are poor," he said to the missionary who was their interpreter and guide.
"Yes," was the reply. "That is the family of Chi Noui. When the church was built they were eager to give something to it, but they had no money, so they sold the only ox they had a gave the money to the church. This spring they are pulling the plow themselves."
The husband and wife were silent for some minutes. Then the wife said: "That was a real sacrifice."
"They did not call it that," said the missionary. "They thought it was fortunate they had an ox to sell."
The two tourists had not much to say. But when they reached home, they took the photographs to the church they belonged to and told their pastor of the incident. "We want to double our pledge to the church," they said, "and give us some plow work to do. We never knew what sacrifice to the Lord meant. We are ashamed to say that we have never given anything to the church that cost us anything."
From the Baptist Tabernacle, Louisville, KY, U.S.A
This page was created on 30 May 1998
Last updated on 30 May 1998
Reproduced with Thanks