What Would Jesus Do?

  
 
John 15:12 ‘This my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one then this, then to lay down one’s life for his friends.’
 

Rajumd Kolbe was born January 8th 1894 in Zdunska Wola, Empire in the Kingdom of Poland, which was then part of the Russian Empire. Kolbe’s life was strongly influenced in 1906 when he was 12 years old by a vision of the Virgin Mary.

 
One night he asked the Mother of God what was to become of him. She appeared to him holding two crowns, one white the other red. She then asked him if he was willing to accept either one of them. The white one meant that he should persevere in purity and the red one that he should become a martyr. Incredibly he said he would accept them both.
 
In 1918 Kolbe was ordained a priest. With outbreak of WWII Kolbe used his monastery as a temporary hospital along with providing shelter to refugees, including 2,000 Jews he hid from German persecution. Eventually the monastery was raided by the Gestapo and he was arrested and sent to a concentration camp. While at Auschwitz there was an escape by one of the men after which the deputy camp commander picked 10 men to be starved to death in an underground bunker. One man who was picked cried out “My wife! My children!”
 
Kolbe volunteered to take his place. After 10 days everyone was dead except Kolbe, so they gave him a shot of carbolic acid. It’s said that he raised his arm up and calmly waited for the deadly injection to take effect.
 
Realistically most of us will never have to deal with the challenges that Kolbe faced, but in our own way we can still make a huge impact in the lives of others. Remember that sometimes the littlest things can make the biggest difference. Simple things like giving someone a warm smile; a pat on the back or a listening ear can help uplift them. Or how about the simple act of praying for someone. These are all things Jesus would do!
 
You may never be a Rajumd Kolbe, but never doubt that in
own special way you can make a real difference in the lives of
your fellowman!

 

 

Pastor Mike Hubacek--Sunday Sermon January 24, 2021