What Price?
Hear this, you who trample the needy, to do away with the humble of the land, saying, "When will the new moon be over, So that we may sell grain, And the Sabbath, that we may open the wheat market, To make the bushel smaller and the shekel bigger, And to cheat with dishonest scales, So as to buy the helpless for money And the needy for a pair of sandals, And that we may sell the refuse of the wheat?" (Amos 8:4-6)
These human beings, the poor and the needy, had less value in many people’s eyes than their animals. And we are closer to sharing this opinion than we might want to acknowledge. Look at the only nice guy who hosted Jesus in Capernaum (Mark 2:1-5). What was his reward for receiving Jesus and his people into his home? Those four young eager fellows who loved their friend destroyed his roof! Do you want to serve the Lord, and are you looking for a fair reward? He may be grateful enough to reward you like that!
To have the burden of one father, mother, brother or sister, husband or wife, son or daughter, is demanding enough. To clean their one house, to help look after them, to love and honour them may take a lot of work. But if you give them up for the sake of Christ, you will be rewarded with at least 100 more to serve and care for! Imagine what a demanding work you can expect then. As Paul said: "What is my reward? To make the gospel costless for those to whom I preach." In other words, to pay the price instead of them. (See 1 Corinthians 9:18)
The host in Capernaum had to consider which was more important: the salvation and healing of a single paralyzed person, or his roof. What am I willing to give up, to sacrifice, for the salvation of another? What price am I willing to pay?
[LH, (c)2004]
These human beings, the poor and the needy, had less value in many people’s eyes than their animals. And we are closer to sharing this opinion than we might want to acknowledge. Look at the only nice guy who hosted Jesus in Capernaum (Mark 2:1-5). What was his reward for receiving Jesus and his people into his home? Those four young eager fellows who loved their friend destroyed his roof! Do you want to serve the Lord, and are you looking for a fair reward? He may be grateful enough to reward you like that!
To have the burden of one father, mother, brother or sister, husband or wife, son or daughter, is demanding enough. To clean their one house, to help look after them, to love and honour them may take a lot of work. But if you give them up for the sake of Christ, you will be rewarded with at least 100 more to serve and care for! Imagine what a demanding work you can expect then. As Paul said: "What is my reward? To make the gospel costless for those to whom I preach." In other words, to pay the price instead of them. (See 1 Corinthians 9:18)
The host in Capernaum had to consider which was more important: the salvation and healing of a single paralyzed person, or his roof. What am I willing to give up, to sacrifice, for the salvation of another? What price am I willing to pay?
[LH, (c)2004]
posted by CS at 6:47 PM
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