John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
At times it’s hard to wrap our minds around the kind of sacrifice Jesus made to save us. Some people spend their whole lives trying to figure it out, refusing to believe what they can’t understand. Others get it; they fall on their knees and cry “Holy.” And a few folks experience sacrifice up close and personal. Like John, one of my Public Speaking students.
John told our class a gripping story from his days in the Marine Corp. His platoon had been deployed to Afghanistan. As he described the men in his unit, he focused on one guy in particular—Lance Corporal Timothy Poole. He said Poole stood out from the rest of the squad. A quiet person, he never went out drinking with them, usually kept to himself. Come to find out, Poole was a Christian. This led to more than a little mocking and ridicule from his fellow soldiers.
John’s platoon had not lost a man since they arrived in Kandahar, but that was about to change. As they moved through the treacherous Taliban landscape, Poole inadvertently knelt on a hidden IED device. He was killed immediately.
Months later when the Marines gathered for Poole’s memorial service, his father shared a few words. As he looked over the men in his son’s platoon, he told them about one of the last conversations he had with his son. Poole told his father he asked God that if anyone in his platoon had to lose his life, it would be him. He knew he was the only one ready to meet God.
The Lord answered Poole’s prayer. Not one other man in their company died.
My student didn’t become a Christian until years later. But when he did, his mind went back to Lance Corporal Timothy Poole. This fellow soldier was willing to sacrifice his own life for a group of men who rejected him and made fun of his faith.
Jesus said there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for a friend. He knew it because he lived it. And he exhorts his followers to do the same. It’s the kind of love that leaves a mark on the world. A mark on me, on you, even on tough combat soldiers.