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Bible Passage: Luke 8:27-39

Let’s play famous movie quotes. “You don’t throw away a whole life just cause he’s banged up a little.” What movie is that quote from? If you said Seabiscuit, you are correct. I was watching it until I was inspired to come write this. As I always say, these devos are inspired by my real life.

Well, back to the story. Seabiscuit’s future trainer Tom Smith said those words, in direct reference to a horse, and with a veiled reference to people in general, maybe even himself. Some people have been known to discard a life because it seems to have no inherent value. We could look at both extremes of human life, the not yet born, and those who suffer near the end of their lives. We call the former, abortion. We call the latter, euthanasia.

There are many occurrences of discarding the value of life, not just abortion or euthanasia. We do it to ourselves when we use illegal drugs or misuse legal drugs such as prescriptions or alcohol. We even sometimes give up on family members. “He’ll never amount to anything,” has been heard coming from the mouth of one too many fathers over the years. Why do any of these occurrences of undervaluing a life happen? It’s often because we look at someone as being “banged up a little.” Simple as that.

Are you “banged up a little?” I certainly am. I don’t really know anyone who isn’t. Lives are valuable no matter what. I mean that. No matter how many times someone does wrong in their life, they can be redeemed. They may have banged themselves up by their own wrong actions, but they should not be given up on. God made them the same way he made you, an innocent person with a good and loving heart.

Have you given up on anyone because they’re “banged up a little?” A friend? A co-worker? A spouse? A son? A daughter? A parent? Have you given up on anyone? If you have, please re-consider your position on that person.

A glance at the life of Jesus will quickly tell you that he didn’t give up on people just because they were “banged up a little.” Look at all the folks he met. If they don’t illustrate “bangedupedness,” I don’t know who does. Jesus gave sight to blind. He healed hurt people. He raised the dead. And he came across demon possessed people every day. If you want to talk “banged up,” you just can’t get any more banged up than the naked guy, possessed by demons, who lived in the cemetery. We find that story in Luke 8:27-39. Did Jesus say, “He’s too banged up. Let me go find someone else to heal.” No, he didn’t. When Jesus was finished with this man, he was in his right mind and demon free.

Jesus never cared how banged up a person was. He simply took all the love he had and did something with it for whatever banged up person he came in contact with. We should do the same. Let us value everyone, no matter how banged up they are. If we do that, maybe they’ll do the same for us.

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