I’m sure you’ve heard the news of the spectacular rescue of a member of the Air Force. He had been missing for over twenty four hours after his fighter jet was shot down. Oh. The pilot of the two-man aircraft had also ejected from the aircraft and had been found alive earlier. I’ve read that being ejected from a fighter jet is no small feat in itself. It’s an act that can’t be practiced, and it’s sometimes fatal. It happens in real time, and some soldiers end up losing extremities because of the extreme g-forces at play.
I wonder. What was it like to find yourself behind enemy lines knowing full well you could be captured at any moment? This second airman had to perform some evasive maneuvers in order to hide and survive. Oh sure. He had been trained in advanced survival skills. And to top it all off. He had been injured in the process of ejecting from the aircraft, making it even more difficult to evade the ever advancing enemy operatives. I heard he was bleeding profusely. But he was able to stop the flow of blood, and he did evade capture. And he’s lived to tell about it. What a story that will be if he ever goes public with the details.
A deception campaign was enacted in order to fool the enemy. Our military did not, under any circumstances, want this injured airman to be discovered and captured by the enemy. One hundred men were sent in to rescue him. It was a very historic rescue, after his jet went down deep in Iranian territory. The decision was made to do whatever was necessary to bring this man home. Our military doesn’t leave even one man behind. In broad daylight and facing heavy enemy fire for seven hours, the flight crews took risks beyond measure. They faced gunfire from a very close range. Yet. No American was injured in this firefight.
A massive operation was mobilized, involving one hundred and fifty aircraft. Many of these planes were used to confuse the enemy into thinking this lone lost airman was in a different area. The planes flew to multiple sites as a ruse to confuse the enemy. And it worked.
This injured airman was successfully discovered after he had been stranded in an area teeming with the enemy. He followed his training and climbed toward a higher altitude in order to evade capture. He had been taught to move as far away as possible from the crash site, so the enemy couldn’t locate him. That’s exactly what he did.
Because of the wet sand where the additional aircraft had landed, it was possible that the huge machinery wouldn’t be able to lift off. The contingency plan brought in lighter, faster aircraft to carry the badly injured airman and all one hundred of his rescuers to safety. Then the original aircraft were immediately and completely destroyed. Three helicopters had been placed unassembled in the large aircraft, and were rebuilt in a matter of a few minutes. They were used extensively in the rescue plan.
What a massive undertaking this was to get this one man to safety. No expense was spared. It was all hands on deck, and everyone involved was ready to go at a moment’s notice. It’s this precise training and skill that makes our military the sharpest and best in the world.
And here’s the thing. Our military knew exactly who the enemy was. They knew what the enemy was capable of. We’ve seen the horrors that have played out in the streets of that country and in other zones deemed unsafe to global workers for decades. It was determined that it was time to act to stabilize the country. And in doing so, a great feat of heroism was displayed by the rescue team. This one man will be forever indebted to them for saving his life.
For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost. Luke 19:10
The rescue of this lone man was very involved and was planned down to the exact detail. Nothing could go wrong in the effort to save him. The intricate steps to extricate one downed soldier from the enemy’s snares are impressive. It’s a fascinating, yet alarming story of precision. We may think it’s overkill. But imagine the one being rescued. What would they have faced if left to their own devices? What would their enemy have done to them?
If our military would go to such lengths to rescue one lone man, imagine how God works in the rescue of our souls. The rescue and redemption of all mankind is very intense, and it has eternal consequences. Oh. God doesn’t use military aircraft to rescue lost souls. He sent his only Son who was reigning safely in heaven with him to earth to live a fully human life for thirty three years. And then he sacrificed this Son for everyone. And by everyone, I mean those no longer living, those currently living, and those yet to be born. EVERYONE. His Son, Jesus, was crucified on a cross and then laid in a tomb. But miracle of all miracles, he rose from the dead on the third day.
Jesus came to seek and to save the lost, and his rescue plan is out of this world. And he uses godly people in his redemption plan to rescue the lost. He uses multiple prayer warriors. He uses believers who plant the seed, and those who till the soil. Those who water. And those who harvest. It’s a group effort where everyone involved plays a part. But here’s the thing. No one knows exactly who else is involved in the mission for each individual soul. That information is top secret and kept in God’s control. He works to make it happen, and we’re the instruments in his overall plan.
And here’s another thing. We all need rescued from our sins. Not one of us is perfect. Not one of us is without sin. Each of us is born with a sinful nature, and we fall short of God’s plan for our lives.
Just as the airman was trained for survival, so too must we be trained for not only surviving our Christian walk, but we must learn to thrive and grow in our knowledge and faith in Jesus Christ. We must practice our faith on a daily basis. We are called to read God’s Word and to spend time in prayer. We are called to spend time with other believers and to attend church. We are called to share out of our wealth to help others find the same saving relationship with Jesus Christ. And we are called to be active workers for the kingdom of God. We not only need to be initially rescued from our sins, but we then need to help rescue others. We who have been rescued are now part of someone else’s rescue plan.
After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building. 1 Corinthians 3:5-9
Oh. It’s easy to identify the enemy who was pursuing the downed airman. And just as the enemy was in hot pursuit to capture this lost man, so too is the enemy of our soul earnestly searching for a way to capture the hearts of all mankind. For some, it’s an easy capture. He has them at hello. But there are others who have been thoroughly trained to avoid the devilish ways of the enemy, and they hold off all his attempts to turn them to the dark side. We must know our enemy and name him, and then fight with all our might to evade capture.
Let’s ask the hard question. Why would someone set aside everyone else to go rescue one lost person? Just why? Is it worth it? Oh. I’ve heard the argument about the waste of time looking for the one when time could have been more wisely spent helping others. But what if you’re that one lost person who is deep down looking to be found by the Savior of the world? Wouldn’t you want him to search diligently, never stopping to find you? If you were the downed pilot, wouldn’t you hope that your country and fellow soldiers wouldn’t give up on you? Should they halt the search because there’s only one who needs rescuing? Isn’t one life worth the cost? Isn’t one soul worth the cost?
So Jesus told them this story: “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away! Luke 15:3-7
Mercy for the Day 