People would come up to a man and his Down Syndrome daughter and remind him he could have her killed.  Absurd?  It happens in Belgian where euthanasia is available for children with disabilities.  Her father’s response?  “She’s a creation.  That’s why she has the right to live.”

God actually goes this father two better!  “But now thus says the LORD, he who created you. O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine’” (Isaiah 40:1).  The value of human life depends upon what our Triune God has done and continues to do:  Created- Redeemed-Called.

Our God-given value comes from His hands.  His hands created us.  “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13).  We could all have a tag on our necks like you see on clothing.  It would read, “Handmade by God.”  Other things do not matter.  The value of Grandma’s thin and tattered quilt does not come from its looks or usefulness but from who made it!

His hands redeemed us.  “And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet” (Luke 24:40).  The hands that knit you together became real flesh and blood hands that bled to redeem us from God’s just anger over sin and to cleanse us from all sin.  We could add to our tag, “Bought with a Price.”  Other things do not matter.  Grandma’s old pump organ displays the scars of decades.  But it has value and not just because it belonged to Grandma.  We paid dearly to buy it back (redeem it!) from the auction block.  Value comes from being bought back!

He calls us to faith and holds us in His hands. “Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me” (Isaiah 49:16).  Baptized and called by His name, Jesus claims us and gives new life now and eternally.  As we journey toward that eternal rest, we walk securely. “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:28).  Other things do not matter.  He remains strong in our weakness and faithful in our faithlessness.  Value comes from being called and held securely.

Every human being is God’s handiwork, someone created by God’s hands, someone redeemed by His hands, and someone He either has called or desires to call into an eternal, hand-held relationship. Other things do not matter!  Whether born or unborn, healthy or sick, in the prime of life or clinging to life, human value does not diminish.  It comes from the hands of God.

Whether in our preaching and teaching in congregations, our crisis pregnancy counseling, mental health counseling, marriage counseling, our adoption services, or our life advocacy in the public square, Lutheran Family Service affirms and proclaims this value.  As an extension of the educational and caring ministry of the congregations of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, we invite you to make use of our resources and to let us know how we can help your congregation advocate for life because we are indeed the handiwork of God.

1. Read additional life advocacy articles here: https://lutheranfamilyservice.org/category/life-advocacy/
2. Find life advocacy resources here: https://lutheranfamilyservice.org/outreach/life-advocacy/
3. Reach out to Life Advocate, Rev. Dr. Jim Lamb at [email protected].
4. Follow Lutheran Family Service on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LutheranFamilyService

“Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.” Proverbs 31:8-9