Grace and peace.

The Midwest and the South are experiencing a record year with floods and tornados.  With regard to tornados, Missouri had been somewhat lucky until now.  The tornado that tore through St. Louis on April 20th did a lot of damage, including to the airport, and displaced many people, but no one was killed.  This tornado in Joplin, however, was in stark contrast to the St. Louis twister: over 125 casualties thus far.

Possibly the sadest moment was when searchers Wednesday recovered the body of a 16-month-old toddler who was reported missing following the twister.  That was a low.  I was hoping that they would find the child underneath some debris or something–scratched up, but otherwise fine.  Sadly, that was not to be.  Though it is of little consolation to the parents of this dear child, I’m grateful that the child is now with the Lord Jesus (and he is with the Lord Jesus), and will be spared the knowledge of this profane and perverse world.

Out of this same tornado, came another story: likewise of loss, but also of heroism in the face of peril.  Bethany Lansaw described how her husband threw himself on top of her to save her life, and in doing so, forfeited his own.  Now that’s what I call a hero.  I rarely, if ever, use that word these days, because it has been overused by the media, who will call anybody a hero.  If a person survives an ordeal, they are hailed as a hero.  They are not a hero; they are a survivor.  There is a big difference.

The Bible says,

“greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (Matthew 15:13).

That, in my opinion, is a true hero.

I don’t know if I would have done what Don Lansaw did.  I would like to think that I would, but I don’t know if I would.  We know, however, that this man did, and for that he is one of my heroes.  In the moment of truth, he loved someone else more than himself.  Let me tell you something: in this selfish age, that to me is a big deal.

May God soothe and comfort Bethany, who doubtless must feel at least a twinge of guilt. But she needn’t.  Her husband did what the Bible says a man should do: he loved his wife so much that he gave his life for her.  The Bible says,

“Husbands love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it” (Ephesians 5:25).

The implication is clear: If we love our wives as Christ loved the church, then we are to give our lives for our wives, as Christ gave his life for the church.  This is the pattern that the Lord Jesus set for us to follow.

Adam also gave his life for his wife.  The Bible says that Adam was not deceived like Eve was (1 Timothy 2:14).  Why, then, did he eat of the forbidden fruit, when he knew that the penalty was death?

Because he loved his wife, and he didn’t want to live without her.

Now, how many men reading this would give their lives for their wives?  I am not saying that we should do it.  I’m saying that we should be willing to do it.  How many of us are willing?  If you are not willing, why?  How many women reading this are certain that their husbands would be willing to lay down their lives for them?

You might want to earnestly consider this, because believe me, as the world continues to turn, the times are drawing nearer when women are going to need their men.  Just look at some of the third world countries, those in Africa particularly, where the rape and physical abuse of women is rampant.  And it is not just in countries like the Congo, which gets so much media attention.  South Africa has always had a huge problem with rape among the European population, but you won’t find that in mainstream statistics.  Women in these countries cannot afford the luxury of saying, “I don’t need a man.”

And it is a luxury.  The feminist movement has given women the delusion that times have changed.  But they have not.  Feminism may have changed the way women feel about themselves, but it has not and will not change the way many men feel about women.  And it wasn’t intended to.  What the feminist movement has done is take away the desire of many, if not most, men to give their lives for their wives.  And that is a shame.

If I were a woman, I would not want to find out in the moment of a crisis that my husband would not be willing to risk his life to protect me.  I would especially not want to find out that the reason is because I had not valued my husband, had not appreciated my husband, had not respected my husband, had not loved my husband.  That would be a pity.

Now, I am fully aware that there are men out there who are behaving very badly.  But they are actually in the minority.  The media however, which supports the feminist movement, make it appear as though the majority of men are behaving badly, and this is just not the case.  But I won’t argue this.  Let each woman reading this examine her own conscience.

The fact is that the Lord Jesus says that a man should be willing to give his life for his wife.

Jesus is known in the Bible as “the Last Adam,” for as Adam was innocent of any transgression, yet he gave his life for his wife, so was Jesus also innocent of sin, yet He gave His life for his Bride, the Church.  That is why Scripture says that Adam “is the figure of Him (Jesus) that was to come” (Romans 5:14).

This is true love:  This is true heroism:  To lay down one’s life for one’s beloved.

Don Lansaw did something that few men would do, and for that I commend him.  So, in between worshipping your rock stars, movie stars, and sports heroes, please take a moment and consider Don Lansaw and say a prayer for his wife, Bethany.  And let each examine his own conscience.

Jesus Christ also did something that no other man could or would do: He laid down His life for us, His friends.  Let us be grateful.  If you would like to get to know a real Hero, click here.

Be encouraged and look up, for your redemption draweth nigh.

The Still Man

Copyright © 2011 Anthony Keeton, The Still Man ®.  All Rights Reserved.