“They took the thirty pieces of silver the price at which he was valued by the people of Israel, and purchased the potter’s field, as the Lord directed.” Matthew 27:9-10
This scripture was the prophecy of Jeremiah given 600 years before Jesus lived and walked the Earth. An immeasurable blip of time in the realm of the eternity we are promised awaits after our short time in this life is over. Eternity in Heaven or in Hell, our choice.
The words within this scripture that struck me this morning were “…the price at which he was valued by the people of Israel…” These words spoken about God’s chosen people and their treatment of His son. How much do we value the Savior?
I tell our kids often that you can tell a lot about a person by the way they treat others and how they take care of what they have. In this World of want and pursuit of all things shiny, glittery, impressive, Jones-beating, our appreciation and value of things entrusted to us seem to have a shorter and shorter shelf-life. A new car, new phone, new job, new location is awesome for about 6-months and then it’s something that no longer meets the need for gratification and position and is just lacking. I lived on this hamster wheel for close to 50 years of my life…and somehow never got anywhere but needing more ‘new.’ Who knew?
I am always impressed with people that I meet who have a deep, profound and lasting appreciation for what they have. They seem to live lives of joy that scripture continually points us to. Lives that are grounded in others before self and gratitude in what is present and had, as opposed to what is new, glittering and perpetually growing stale. I drive a 6 year-old pickup truck that I love to the point that I have named her Henrietta (she chose to identify as a lady; don’t blame me if she has gender confusion.), and every year I appreciate her more and truth be told, I care for her more each year. Trying to make sure all things mechanical are dealt with, tires replaced as needed (much to Megan West Mullins dismay) and that I clean and maintain her. I appreciate what a great truck I have and all the hard work she has done for me. I owe her my gratitude, care and maintenance in appreciation for the 120,000+ miles she has taken me and the hundreds of thousands of pounds of materials and hay she has hauled. I have never felt this was about the many cars and vehicles that were way more cool, stylish, trendy and attention grabbing that I owned prior to this truck. Ironically, they all were just vehicles within 6 months of ownership.
Jeremiah’s prophesy 600 years before Jesus came to Earth and then written in Matthew causes me to ask myself, “what value do I place on God, His Son and the Holy Spirit?” Do they invade and permeate every thought and pursuit of my life? Has the new become old or am I perpetually seeking and ravenously ingesting Christ through His word and is the pursuit of righteousness the overwhelming desire of my heart? God tells me that it is okay to answer these questions honestly. That it is okay to have failed, yet again to live a day in this short life with wrong yet seeking perspective. That He loves me despite, not because. That He waits patiently to tell me in person, “I love you and know your heart.”
Our time, energy, focus and actions reflect the value we place on the Father. My prayer today is that I reflect an increase in His value a little more today than I did yesterday and yet again, more tomorrow.