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How
Much?
Consider
the Parable of Johnny Lingo…
There
was a young man named Johnny Lingo and a young woman
named Mahanna who lived far away on exotic, tropical
islands.
Johnny
was a handsome bachelor from one tropical island.
Mahanna came from a good family on a nearby
island. She
had a pleasant personality, but she was shy and rather
plain in appearance.
However, Johnny saw her good qualities and fell
in love with her.
One day he arrived to ask her to marry him.....
According
to custom, a prospective bridegroom brought a dowry of
cows to the prospective bride’s father – as a
measure of his devotion and the bride’s desirability
(worth) – usually three or four cows.
An outstanding bride might bring five or six
cows. Mahanna’s
father expected to be offered only two cows.
Johnny
Lingo offered NINE
cows for the hand of Mahanna!
Johnny
and Mahanna returned to his island after the wedding
feast. Several
months later, villagers saw Johnny arrive in his
canoe. Who
was the poised, beautiful woman with him?
As
she and Johnny walked through the village, people
realized that the beauty was Mahanna – transformed
from within by her new picture of herself. *
The
value of something is often determined by the price
that is paid for it. Consider the value of a human
soul in light of the price Jesus paid for the souls of
mankind. Of
Christians, Peter wrote:
“You
were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver
or gold, from your aimless conduct received by
tradition from your fathers, but with the precious
blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and
without spot” (1 Peter 1:18-19).
The
price that Jesus paid for the souls of mankind was not
so much a reflection of their worth, but of the
magnitude of the love of God.
Though sin mars our souls and condemns us (Romans
6:23), God loves us so much that He sent His Son Jesus
to pay the price for our redemption by dying for our
sins on the cross.
Through His payment for sin, we can be saved
and become His children.
“Behold
what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us,
that we should be called children of God!” (1
John 3:1).
How
much?
The question is not “How
much are we worth?” but more....
“How much does God LOVE us?”
He answered that question with the gift of His
Son.
How
will YOU and I respond?
The benefits of Christ’s death on the cross
can be applied to our lives by accepting these gifts
on His terms: trusting
Him (Acts 16:30-31), repenting
of our sins (Acts 17:30-31), confessing
Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), being baptized
(immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins
(Acts 2:38), and following Him for the rest of our
lives (1 John 1:7; Revelation 2:10).
Then
by His grace, OUR lives are transformed from within
because of the forgiveness, the purpose, and the hope
that Jesus gives.
Now,
how
much are YOU willing to surrender in order to
receive the Gift?
God bless you!
David
A. Sargent, Minister
Church of Christ at Creekwood
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama 36695
*
adapted from Nick Stinnett’s retelling of the parable
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