Christmas Sale – Revisited…

Almost everywhere you turn this time of year, you see signs promoting great savings… 40% off sweaters -- 50% off belts -- 60% off socks – the savings are tremendous.

You don’t have to be a veteran shopper to understand that even though some stores have a 60% off sale – you’re still unable to pay the price for the item that is marked for sale.

In Matthew 5:3 Jesus says…“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

This passage is very clear about my standing before God – a poor, bankrupt beggar – with not so much as two spiritual pennies to rub together. But it gets worse for me…the object of my desire is priceless -- not costly, or expensive, but priceless!

So here I am -- suddenly with greater knowledge of just how poor I really am -- because I now know that even if I had all the money in the world, I couldn’t afford the price of forgiveness, or righteousness before God.

So as I’m standing there at the checkout counter embarrassed and broken, trying to figure out just what I can and can’t afford, Jesus walks up and says – he’s with me – just put his with mine and I’ll pay for all of it together.

How do you pay for something that’s freely given??? You can’t! That’s just it -- and to think -- it all began in Bethlehem, with a baby in a manger…

O Holy Night!