A Short Story and the Gospel

This story by O. Henry reminds me of the core truth of Christianity: someone died so that others could have a life.  The story isn't distinctively Christian, so whatever your faith background, you may enjoy this.

“There are two elderly women, Joanna and Sue, trying to survive the coldest winter on record.

Joanna is suffering from pneumonia and is getting sicker as each colder day goes by. There is no heating and they struggle to survive. Joanna looks out the window every single morning and they see the leaves dropping off a vine on the wall opposite their apartment.

Joanna says to Sue, “When the last leaf of that vine falls to the ground, my time will have come to the end.”

At this stage there was only one last leaf left on the vine. Sue tells to her neighbor, Behrman, a kind old man about how tough things have got for the two of them.
Behrman had struggled all his life trying to be an artist and was somewhat of a failed artist.

That next day, Joanna and Sue woke up and opened up the blinds and they were relieved to see that today was not the day.

The leaf was still on the vine. Joanna said to Sue, “Heat up some milk and we’ll have some milk and oatmeal; today is not the day.”

The other members of the apartment started to talk and they thought it was strange that Behrman had spent the coldest evening on record outside painting on the wall opposite the apartment until they found out what he had painted.

He had painted a leaf on the wall behind the vine so when Joanna looked out, there was a always one leaf for her.

He died that day but he died giving a purpose; he sacrificed his own life for the life of these two neighboring women.” — O. Henry

O. Henry’s poignant tale of "The Last Leaf" is a stark, yet beautiful, illustration of the profound truth encapsulated in Romans 5:8. It’s a story of despair, hope, sacrifice, and ultimately, the transformative power of love.

“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” — Romans 5:8

Joanna, frail and sick, finds her life intertwined with the fate of a single leaf on a vine.

As the leaves fall, her hope dwindles, her spirit waning with each passing day. Her life, in a sense, mirrors the ephemeral nature of the leaves, a fragile existence teetering on the brink.

Behrman, a struggling artist, observes this decline with a heavy heart. His response is not merely compassion, but a profound act of selfless love. He paints a single leaf, a masterpiece born of sacrifice, to give Joanna hope, to extend her life a little longer. In this act, we see a reflection of God's love.

God, in His infinite wisdom and mercy, looked upon humanity, lost and dying in sin, and offered His only Son, Jesus Christ. Like Behrman, God didn't merely observe our plight; He acted. He sacrificed His Son, the ultimate masterpiece of creation, for our salvation.

Just as the painted leaf extended Joanna’s life, Jesus' sacrifice extends ours spiritually. It offers hope in the face of despair, healing in the midst of sickness, and life in the face of death. Behrman's act, while human and limited, is a poignant echo of the divine love demonstrated on the cross.

In the end, both Behrman and Jesus gave their lives for others. Their deaths were not in vain, but acts of selfless love that brought life and hope.

O. Henry’s story, when viewed through the lens of Romans 5:8, becomes a powerful meditation on the nature of God’s love. It invites us to consider the depth of sacrifice required to demonstrate such love and challenges us to live our lives in a way that reflects this selfless giving.

Reflect: How has this story and Scripture passage impacted your understanding of love and sacrifice?

With You;
Pastor Tim