The Price is Right?
And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the handsome price at which they valued me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter at the house of the Lord. (Zechariah 11:13)
Then one of the Twelve-the one called Judas Iscariot-went to the chief priests and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I
deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. (Matthew 26:14–15)
The Price is Right?
By: Ashley Peterson (St. Mark Staff Minister Intern)
You may have heard the saying, “everything is for sale if you put the right price on it.” How much worth do we put on this world? Take, for example, the newest iPhone, the 13 pro.
The price of this 6-inch device is about $1,000. Every year, like clockwork, Apple releases a newer version of this device, and to have the most up-to-date products, we willingly pay another thousand dollars. We pay higher prices for organic and natural foods. We pay more for a gourmet coffee at a local fair-trade coffee shop, bypassing the cheaper stuff at home, Everything in life has an attributed value. Either by dollar amount, practicality, beauty, or time.
In the business world, they say “time is money.” What is time worth to you? Take a moment to evaluate how you spend time in a day. What are those things that are important enough to fill up your day? Parents, you have to work, but how often do you take work home or stay late at the office? How much time is spent in the carpool lane trying to get each kid to a different activity? Of course, hobbies need a slot so days do not feel like a constant grind. How much time do you spend watching a football game? Or watching the latest Netflix series? How much time do you spend reading God’s Word? Have you ever thought of swapping a football game for worship? Could you wake up 10 minutes sooner to start your day with personal time in God’s Word instead of hitting the snooze button a few times?
Judas Iscariot was one of Jesus’ disciples who dedicated three years of his life to Jesus’ teachings. Despite the time he spent with Jesus, his desires got the best of him when he agreed to turn Jesus over to the chief priests for 30 pieces of silver, equivalent to a couple of months’ wages.
We value our time and try to make it work for our individual lives, but time is not ours to handle. Who is the one who gave you time? The Creator of the universe, who created time. But he gave us so much more than time; he gave us Jesus. The son of God entered into time to reconcile us to God the Father. It was not cheap to reclaim and earn the salvation freely given to us. It took time for Jesus to live a human life, to live under the law so that he could perfectly fulfill it. More than that, it took the blood of the innocent lamb to redeem all people. We were not purchased or won with gold or silver but with the holy precious and innocent blood of Jesus, a priceless gift far beyond the worth of 30 pieces of silver.
Song: Worth It All by Chris McClarney
Prayer Suggestions: Ask for forgiveness when you put God on the back burning. Ask him for the strength and boldness to make him the most important thing in your life.