11-26-2019

 Good Morning All,

       Mark 10:45; “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

    We all seek to know the value of something.  We want to know “what does it cost?”  “What do they want for it?”  “What is it worth?”  It is always interesting to watch how people react to information about auction sales.  It might be some high-priced Sotheby’s auction where some movies stars pantsuit sells for 10 times the expected value or the rare painting that sells for millions of dollars more than expected.  We are amazed at what people pay for some things what makes it worth that much to them.

    Of course, we do not have to go to a fancy auction sale, we can see it in our own life.  Perhaps you have been to an auction or you heard of someone paying what you considered and exorbitant price for something.  What would cause someone to pay such a ridiculous price?  Why would they pay three or four times what most people thought it was worth?  Sometimes it is foolishness; a person relatively new to the situation overpays because of inexperience but most of the time there is a reason why someone values something so greatly.

    I was at a farm sale a number of years ago when an old anvil was being sold.  These usually go for the vale of scrap iron, but it didn’t take long before this particular anvil became very expensive.  Soon it was at $1000.00 and a few more bids and it went for just over $1200.00.  Most were in awe; a few knew the story and soon it was out.  The anvil belonged to a German immigrant and these were two of his grandsons bidding on it.  (They didn’t get along.)

    Something is worth what someone will pay for it.  What are you worth?  The EPA says the average American is worth $8,000,000 but what are you worth?  What is the homeless guy worth, or the recovering but lapsing addict, the gal who had an abortion, the high school dropout, the little child with cerebral palsy or Downs’ syndrome?  A lot of people would probably put them far under the EPA number.  What is the movie star worth, or the billionaire, or the up and coming politician?  Some might think these folks are worth far more than the EPA number.  What are you worth?   I don’t know what you are worth to the government, but I know what you are worth to God.  God gave one Son to buy you back.  You are worth one dying Savior.

    The world will tell you different.  It might call you worthless and hopeless, but God doesn’t.  God calls you valuable.  God invested a lot into you.  He paid a price far beyond what anyone else might pay because of his great love for you.  There was no price he wouldn’t pay; and he held nothing back, not even his only Son.  Your value to the Father is one beyond human understanding; only the Father truly knows your worth and he paid dearly for you!

Father of all mercies, your love is beyond our understanding, yet it is desired so much.  Keep us in your loving arms that we may never lose hope.  Keep us safe in your loving arms.  In the precious name of Jesus, we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret