Blood
On February 17, a man named James Harrison from South Wales, Australia, passed away.
He was 88 years old.
You may never have heard of James Harrison. In his native Australia, however, Harrison was somewhat of a minor celebrity. Known as the “man with the golden arm,” Harrison is credited with saving the lives of 2.4 million babies.
You see, when he was a teenager, Harrison underwent major surgery on his chest that required the transfusion of a large amount of donated blood. Despite his fear of needles, Harrison pledged to give back by donating blood as soon as he reached the required age of 18.
In 1954, Harrison donat- ed blood for the first time.
Ten years later, doctors discovered that his blood contained a rare antibody essential to produce a medication called “anti- D.” Anti-D is given to women whose blood might attack their unborn babies. Without it, babies may develop hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN), a blood disorder that can be fatal.
During his lifetime, Harrison donated blood and plasma 1,173 times.
Over three million doses of anti-D with Harrison’s blood have been given to two million mothers in Australia since 1967.
Harrison received numerous awards and accolades during his life, including the Medal of Order of Australia.
His daughter, Tracey, recently said of her father, “He was … very proud to have saved so many lives, without any cost or pain.
It made him happy to hear about the many families like ours who existed because of his kindness.
“He always said it does not hurt,” she continued, “and the life you save could be your own.”
I love that story. Harrison’s humanitarian heart and giving nature should be lauded. The fact that his blood saved the lives of so many babies is mind-blowing.
Two thousand years ago, another man passed away. His name was Jesus. His blood was even rarer than James Harrison’s.
Jesus was God in human flesh and blood. God became man to live and die in our place. Jesus gave his blood – he shed his blood – to save not millions, but billions.
If you have a chance this week, read Hebrews 9:11-22. The punishment of sin is death – physical death of the body and eternal death of the soul. Sin requires a blood payment.
Jesus made that payment on the cross. God the Father punished Jesus in our place. He died so that we might live.
As the Apostle John says, “The blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).
That is what we remember every time we receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion. When Jesus first gave the Sacrament the night before he died, he said, “This is the blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28).
Unlike James Harrison’s blood donations, however, Jesus’ gift hurt.
It cost him everything. If we laud men like James Harrison for their beautiful gift, which, according to his own admission, was painless, how much more should we praise Jesus?
His blood saved the world.
Pastor Andrew Schroer has been a pastor for over 25 years and is currently serving at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Edna, Texas. You can find his latest books, “364 Days of Thanksgiving” and “364 Days of Devotion,” on Amazon.com.
