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 "NO RIGHT HAND"

I almost titled this article, "How much is He worth to you?"  In a world which tends to pay more lip service than true service, I'm reminded of the Words of our Lord, Himself, when He said in His opening salvo in the Sermon on the Mount, "Only a few will take the narrow road that leads to life" (MATT. 7:13-14). Regrettably I find that there are truly only a few who have heard Him when He said that.

In England there is a Cathedral with two graves. Over them stands a statue of a Crusader Knight and his Lady. THE LADY HAD NO RIGHT HAND. The story behind that statue is as follows.

Back in the days of the wars of the Crusaders, this Knight was captured by Saladin and His Arab army and was about to be slain when he began to plead with Saladin to spare his life for the sake of his Lady Love back in England.

The Sultan scoffed at this and said that she would soon forget all about him and find someone else. The young Crusader assured him that she would never do that. The Sultan, in order to test that love, said: "If she really loves you, send word for her to send me her right hand. If she does, I'll set you free."

The message was sent over land to England and as soon as it was received, according to the story, the Lady Love went down and had her right hand cut off and sent back to the Crusader Knight. As it was presented to Saladin, he kept his word and the Knight was set free. That severed hand was an indication of the strength of the love that knit those two hearts together.  Ever after the handless arm of his lady proved to that young man the strength of the love that she had for him.

Mankind has been held captive by the devil. In Christ we are free from his bondage (COL. 1:13). But there is a price for that freedom. Christ paid that price (ROMANS 5:8), NOT WITH His hand but with His life. He gave of Himself to redeem us ... to set us free (TITUS 2:14). The price of our freedom from Satan was the blood of Christ (COL. 1:14).

So what must WE do to receive and reap the blessings of our freedom? Anything less than a total consecration of ourselves to holiness fails miserably (I PETER 1:16 / LEVITICUS 11:44)!!!

For those who, for whatever reason, do not with to search the Scriptures for ways in which to do this, I refer you to the old hymn: "Take My Life and Let It Be." Do yourself a favor, find a hymn book and read that verse as a heart-felt prayer. Then make yourself available to Him to accomplish it. Anything less is not worthy of His hand, much less His life.

Dick Hilleary