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Blood Shed
A question was recently asked on YouTube: This Hindu vowed not to sit or lie down in honor of his god Shiva. Christians go to church every Sunday to honor their God. What’s the difference?
Hindus who take such a vow are known as Khareshwari or “Standing Babas”. This extreme form of physical devotion (tapasya) is undertaken as an act of penance or spiritual discipline. Because the human body is not built for such prolonged immobility, this extreme asceticism often takes a severe physical toll, leading to heavily swollen legs because their blood can’t circulate.
The difference is our God doesn’t ask us to purposely harm ourselves, in fact it is condemned (Colossians 2). Instead we can observe another difference is, the followers our God purposely suffered harm for us. Jesus chose to shed his blood.
Jesus himself said,
• Matthew 26:28 – for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.
Judas confessed,
• Matthew 27:4 – “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.”
Paul revealed,
• Acts 20:28 – Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.
The Hebrew writer said,
• Hebrews 9:22 – And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
My question for you is this: How many times and ways did Jesus shed blood?
1. Sweat as blood? (Luke 22:44)
2. Crown of thorns (Matthew 27:29; Mark 15:17; John 19:2)
3. Scourging (Matthew 27:26; John 19:1)
4. Nails (John 20:25)
5. Stipes part of the cross where Jesus’s back would rub against trying to breathe.
6. Spear (John 19:34)
We are only asked to suffer the pain of physical abuse if others persecute us for spiritually standing up for Jesus.
• Hebrews 12:3-4 – 3) For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary, fainting in heart. 4) You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin.
There is a difference between choosing to physically stand for our beliefs which leads to abuse of the body; and choosing to spiritually stand for God which can lead to others choosing to harm our bodies. That is a major difference, although I do admire their zeal which is, and needs to be, seen in followers of Jesus.
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