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"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends."
(John 15:13)
I am always moved when I hear or read stories of ultimate sacrifice where someone lays down his or her life for another person. It is especially moving when the person paying the ultimate price is innocent and only does what he or she does out of love.
A recent example of this type of agape love was demonstrated in Italy by a priest who gave his life for another. Italian priest, Don Berardelli, was 72 years of age and deeply loved by the people he served as the Archbishop of Canigo in the Diocese of Bergamo, Italy. This is one of the areas of northern Italy hit very hard by COVID-19. He had breathing issues before, and so his parish (the church he served) bought him a ventilator to help him. But on March 15, he gave the ventilator away to a younger person to save his life. In so doing, Berardelli died, as he gave another person life.
Clara Poli, the mayor of Fiorano, where Berardelli had been a longtime pastor, said this about his character: "A great person… he was always cheerful and full of enthusiasm, he gave peace and joy to our communities. He was a priest who listened to everyone, he knew how to listen, whoever turned to him knew that he could count on his help."
Berardelli's story of sacrifice went viral all over the world. An American priest said Berardelli was a Martyr of Charity and then quoted our verse for today's devotion, John 15:13: "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends."
Berardelli died in a hospital in Lovere, Bergamo. Though he did not have a proper funeral, the people in Caserta, Italy, "applauded him from their balconies at noon on Monday, March 16."
Read more here.
We are a few days removed from Good Friday, but the cross of Jesus is still on my mind. I think of Jesus' death for me, because I would have no salvation were it not for His sacrifice on the cross in Jerusalem two millennia ago. It makes me think of a song by Andrae Crouch, "The Blood Will Never Lose Its' Power":
The blood that Jesus shed for me
Way back on Calvary
The blood that gives me strength
From day to day
It will never lose its power
It reaches to the highest mountain
It flows to the lowest valley
The blood that gives me strength
From day to day
It will never lose its power.
The powerful blood of Jesus can wash the soul clean. No matter what you have done, thought, or said, Jesus can forgive you. All you have to do is sincerely turn from sin to Him, and you will be the forgiven person mentioned in this wonderful verse in 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
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