READ | SERMON NOTES
Summary l Stories influence the way we live and shape the choices we make. Tales of sacrificial love, such as The Lord of the Rings, Narnia, and Harry Potter, stand in stark contrast to narratives that oppose self-sacrifice. Friedrich Nietzsche’s concept of the Übermensch transcends human limitations, as seen in Breaking Bad, Frozen, and The Rings of Power. Nietzsche advocates for self-actualisation and the will to power. In his worldview, humanity has killed God, and we possess the inherent strength to overcome the world’s challenges, reject tradition, and act according to our own beliefs. We are accountable only to ourselves, as we are above and beyond all. In this perspective, might makes right, and the end justifies the means. Self-expression, self-fulfillment, and self-actualisation lie at the heart of contemporary culture.
Nehemiah 10 is about covenant renewal, where the people rededicated themselves to God. The story of self-sacrifice undergirds this covenant renewal:
Sacrifice of Social Standing (V30): Intermarriage was practiced to raise social standing. As the surrounding nations did not worship Yahweh, the people chose not to intermarry.
Sacrifice of Busyness (V31): Busyness is sacrificed, even at a significant business disadvantage. The Bible is not against work or ambition but against busyness. During their enslavement in Egypt, the Israelites worked every day. Now, they are no longer defined by work. Sabbath observation puts a limit on work and busyness.
Sacrifice of Hierarchy and “Freedom” (V28-29): Nobles come together with fellow Israelites to enter the covenant with God. There is a sense of unity and oneness regardless of social status. Levites are accountable for the tithe for the temple and the people making the contributions. No one is above and beyond accountability.
Verses 32-39 deal with the commitment to the temple and the sacrificial system. The temple tax is not exorbitant, but people are responsible for bringing the first and best produce to the temple. In the culture then, firstborn sons inherited most of the family inheritance and carried on the family name. By consecrating their firstborn sons to God, they made a statement that their aspirations and hopes for the future were surrendered to God.
The crux of it is the sacrifice of autonomy and limitless progress. The central point of the passage is that society is revived when people believe in the story of sacrificial or self-giving love, not self-actualisation.
Jesus lived a life of perfect sacrificial love. The Good News is encapsulated in John 12:24-25: “Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”
The pastor shared how, growing up, others sacrificed to help him. In church, pastors sacrifice for one another to fill the gaps in ministry. Do we give up our career progression for the family? Do we forgo buying a car to give to the less fortunate? What story do you find yourself living that will lead you to choose what to do?
(Sermon notes by Woo Choi Yin)
PONDER | REFLECTION QUESTIONS
- Which story do you identify with more? The story of sacrificial love or the story of self-actualisation? Why?
- Would you rather live in a society where each person gives of their best towards the benefit of the community, or a society where every individual aspires to become more than human? Why?
- When it comes to making sacrifices for the community, what do you struggle with the most? (e.g. money, time, freedom?)
