"This Is My Body"

Starchild Abraham Cherrix (yes, that's his full name; he goes by "Abraham") is a teen cancer patient fighting a legal battle to use alternative medical treatment for his Hodgkin's disease. I don't wish to get into all of the issues surrounding how this ended up in court. I think we probably all agree that he and his family should be allowed to treat the cancer in the way they have decided.

I heard a radio interview with Abe yesterday and he made the statement at one point, "This is my body." Now, he said this in reference to his court case. He was appealing to the government to stay out of this because after all it's "his body." I agree with him, but I also thought of how we hear "This is my body" from abortion advocates. (Actually, we hear more from politicians and activists "It's the woman's body" than from the women themselves, but you get the idea.) As to abortion I want to say, "No, it's not your body, it's your baby!"

Anyway, what struck me was how we hear these appeals such as "This is my body" and at best they are claims upon certain legitimate rights (as with Abraham) or illegitimate rights (as with abortion). At worst they are claims for the right to vanity and such ("This is my body and I can darn well have this ridiculous plastic surgery if I want!!!!")

What a contrast with Jesus, who said "This is my body" and claimed no rights by that statement, but freely gave his life that we might live. Jesus is the only person who could ever really claim the "right" to his own body, for he was without sin and therefore not subject to death. Yet, he allowed himself to be broken for us anyway.

"This is my body, which is given for you."