((I'm posting this draft with rough-English since I may not have an
opportunity to post the polished one until next week some time.))
Ransomed by the Son of Man.
Phoenix, Arizona has an overall low crime rate, warm climate, and many
other things going for it. But it is also known as the #2 kidnapping
capital of the world; behind Mexico City. The police respond to an average
of over one each day. But not all are reported. Usually these kidnappings
involve human trafficking or drugs.
Altho objects have been held for ransom, mostly people (from infants to
the elderly) are taken by force. They are held in horrible conditions. The
hostage takers leave a note or may phone relatives or friends demanding
money, jewels, drugs, or even another person. Unless demands are met, the
captive is tortured or killed.
Often, the payment is so high it drains life's savings. Sometimes the
ransom is too high and it can't be paid. And the person who is kidnapped?
He or she is unable to do anything to bring about their own rescue and
depends on family and friends.
In a normal kidnapping, the ransom is set on what captors feel they can
get for your life. If you have 'done well in life' and are worth a million
dollars, they may ask for that amount.
But if you haven't done so well, they may only be able to get $10,000.
So what would happen if you had negative value? What would happen if in
stead of being worth a lot, you were deeply in debt? Or if no one cared?
You obviously couldn't pay your own ransom.
There would be no escape. Death would be certain. And the captors
would not make it easy or quick or painless.
How much are YOU worth? Now, I'm not asking you to set an economic
value on your life like $10,000; 1 million dollars; or ten cents. Instead,
I want you to think about the value of your eternal life to God.
Sadly, most of us might feel like James and John: God owes us a lot.
We have been working hard for Him. We are very valuable to God.
Maybe we have given lots of money to charity; we have been a hard
worker in some office - Sunday School teacher, trustee, elder, or LWML, or
even a pastor; or we have done some great social project of feeding the
poor, sending goods to the folks around Fargo/Morehead in this flood, or
mailed money to our seminary student John Henry the III. SURELY, we feel,
that makes us very valuable to God!
Precisely what James and John had done that made them feel they were so
valuable and important is not known. But they did feel so. They wanted to
be viceroys, second in command beside Jesus, and receive recognition and
power.
They, like we, failed to see the great debts each of us owes God for
our flaws, faults, and failures. Not the least of which is our pompous
arrogance: we expect only rewards for our goodness; and never have to pay
any debts for our failure to do good or outright wrongs.
"Jesus deals with them (and us) in a very gentle manner. He does not
give them a harsh word. Rather, He instructs them with all kindness to
detest the request and have other thoughts of His kingdom and their
ministry." [Luther]. He asks: Do you really think you can withstand the
physical shame, abuse & torture that will be unreasonably and unfairly
heaped on Me? Are you able to drink the cup I am to drink?
'And are you able to endure the baptism I will be baptized with: the
Father pouring out all His anger over sin on Me?'
So we join the chorus of James and John saying, "yes." We want a
short-cut to glory. We don't know the price. We'd rather rule than serve.
We can be indignant when it seems others, less worthy ones, appear to get
the honors WE feel we deserve.
We want to believe we have a lot going for us. But in truth, we are
broke, kidnapped and held for ransom without hope.
Yet we act as if WE are the lord of our own lives and live according to
our own desires. We don't ask what we owe God or other people. We feel
they owe us! When we get power, we like to throw our weight around, command
clout, and live like kings.
Jesus, the King of Kings, could have come to earth this way. He had
every right. He could have set up a kingdom of power, lorded over us, and
crushed us for our wicked, power-grabbing ways. Instead, in an example of
humility and service: He came as the Ransom for the world.
Satan has stolen the souls of men, women, and children. In fact, he
held ALL of creation in captivity. Since all creation was captive, nothing
IN all creation could pay the ransom! And what a huge ransom it would be!!!
Unable to pay for ourselves, much less ransom others, we had no hope of
anything but earthly and eternal death.
But He Who created us was willing also to ransom us by enduring the
cross and the punishment we deserve. He had no debt to pay. He had no
ransom He owed for sin. The Son of Man did not come to 'lord over us' and
make laws that WE should serve Him. He came to serve US. He offered
Himself as a Ransom.
Christ willingly was our perfect Substitute. His life was flawless &
holy, free from sin, and beyond any price. The Son of God took on flesh for
us. He had the power to lay down His life; and take it back again. Any
honest reading of the Holy Gospels shows His willingness to follow God's
only Plan of Ransom for us which was made before the foundation of the
world.
By His one and only sacrifice for sin, He paid for all the ransoms we
could never even have paid for ourselves! Thru Christ, 'God has forgiven
our iniquity, and He will remember our sin no more.'
Because He has done this, we find greatness in God's Kingdom thru our
service to others: by treating others kindly; by forgiving others as God
has forgiven us; by using whatever abilities He has given us to help others;
by building up His kingdom here thru generous offerings; by telling our
friends and family and neighbors about what Jesus has done; by leading
children to Christ; by not insisting on your rights, but Christ's love; and
by thousands of other acts of faith that are as unique as you are unique.
Just as the Son of Man will reveal on Judgment Day service done willingly,
not from obligation or pressure. (See Matthew 25:31-46).
When a ransom is paid and a captive returns, what joy is there among
family and friends. What greater joy is there over every ransomed sinner
who returns to their heavenly home. May that ransomed joy be ours every
moment of forever in the Name of Jesus! Amen.
Pastor Michael Harman
St. Peter LCMS - Newell, IA
vacancies at 1st-Fonda and Immanuel-Pomeroy
It fits well on two pages with 14pt type in two columns as an extended
devotional.
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