The Parable of Sadhu: A Lesson in Self Sacrifice

The Parable of Sadhu seems to be a large representation of the way our society has shifted in their moral being. We have continually moved away from God as a nation and in turn, our values are not the same as they once were. You are almost viewed as an outcast anymore if you profess your belief and love in God. It has become a selfish society that is only worried about what is in it for them and if the risk or sacrifice is too great then it is not worth it. What happened to a time when helping someone was a not even a matter of thought rather instinct?

I truly feel that if I were in their shoes on that mountain the Sadhu would have been the first priority. The effort that they put in amounted to putting a band-aid on the problem and did not solve the issue at hand. The man was sick and needed help back to the village where he could eventually get better and in turn solving the real dilemma at hand. The saying is hindsight is 20/20 but if you have a true Christian worldview then a situation like this would make helping the Sadhu second nature.

I can only think of Navy SEAL Lieutenant Michael Murphy who was recently awarded the Medal of Honor when I read this parable and what it means to be a true Christian who puts God and others first. His story is one of not only bravery but of selfless sacrifice to protect his brothers. On June 28, 2005 in a rugged area of Konar Province, Afghanistan, his team's location was given away by militia supporters and the result was 30 to 40 enemy fighters assaulting his four-member team. During the ensuing firefight, all of them were wounded and their primary communicator was killed early. Lt. Mike Murphy attempted to get communication out to headquarters in an attempt to save the rest of his team.

Unfortunately, due to where he was located communications were unable to get out so he went into open terrain exposing him to direct enemy fire in order to get the word out. He was successful in getting the word out but it cost him his life in the end. Lt. Murphy continued to engage the enemy even though he was mortally wounded, which to me shows the selfless courage and sacrifice we are missing in America now.