(Jesus said) "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you." John 15:12-14

The Daily Devotion idea for today was suggested by Rev. Paul Krause. The good Reverend is under-shepherd at two Church of the Lutheran Confession congregations in eastern South Dakota.

Pastor Krause of South Dakota suggested I might want to take a look at the link he sent my way. Having been pleased with past suggestions I looked and simply had to read further. The catchy title of the article was "Father Sacrifices Some of His Most Prized Possessions So His Daughter Can Afford to Go to College."

Now, honestly, doesn't that line make you just a bit curious? Don't you feel obligated to read the rest of this obviously compelling human-interest story?

I did. I read and now I'm going to share.

The "most prized possessions" the father was sacrificing were not pieces of historical memorabilia, which had once belonged to George Washington or Abraham Lincoln and had been handed down through the family.

Nor was the father selling a painting or document that had been produced by a famous painter or author.

Nope, the most prized possessions this father was selling were -- are you ready for this? -- his comic book collection. Yup, that's it: his comic books. The story told how he had begun collecting comics as a boy, and it had continued right up to present day. His collection has reached almost 5,000.

Frankly, I thought his sacrifice was a bit of a letdown.

Then I reconsidered. The article revealed how, when this father was in college, he had even sold plasma to raise money to get the more desirable issues. Yes, I know, you probably wouldn't have done such a thing, but this man loved his comic books.

And now he was going to make a supreme sacrifice and sell his comics so his daughter could go to her dream college. All-in-all, quite impressive.

Of course, the sacrifice of comic books for a college education is a small thing when it is compared to the sacrifice of our Heavenly Father. So that His sinful, disobedient children might be rescued from sin, death, the devil, and themselves, He sacrificed His only Son. In promise and fulfillment, from cradle to grave and beyond, Jesus' life was given so that we might be able to be forgiven and enter heaven.

And that, my friends, is a real sacrifice.

THE PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, we are undeserving and unworthy of the sacrifice made by Your Son. Grant that we might be appreciative of what He has done. This I ask in my Savior's Name. Amen.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Today's Bible Readings: 1 Samuel 13-14    Luke 19:28-48

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