Greek words are so beautiful. Such allure and boldness in
their twists and curves. I am falling in love with a language I cannot read.
The attraction simply is this: these are the words that
bring me even closer to what my Lord said so very long ago. A step closer to
the breath of God’s voice. His life whispering in my ear. I am so grateful He
gave me this hunger and love for words, especially His.
I was making my way through Ephesians chapter one and I saw
that the Greek/English literal translation slightly varied from the RSV right
here:
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our
trespasses, according to the riches of his grace which he lavished
upon us. v.7-8
What RSV and many other Bibles
have translated as riches, my Greek
said wealth.
Hmmm.
Riches and wealth are the same
aren’t they? For whatever reason riches sounds more holy but the word: Ploutos actually means wealth, an abundance
of stuff. Having a bunch of money and not having to worry about a thing.
Wealth.
What a carnal word for us.
We do not often link wealth and riches (possessions, houses, cars, clothes, money,
money money )with the gifts God has for us.
(Well,
ok I know some people do. What a shame.)
But the more I thought about it
the more I was awed by God and how He loves.
The verse says we have redemption according to His riches. What exactly is redemption?
It means
It means
being released from captivity
by someone paying the ransom
according to His riches.
So you understand: the kidnapped
child of a corporate exec will be worth more ransom than a teacher’s kid simply because of the riches of the Father.
What do you suppose God’s riches
are? Can He pay for whatever He wants? Could he buy you a nice steak dinner
without blinking? What about a vacation to the Islands
in the middle of winter? Could He pay off your mortgage and your car? Can He
stroke a check and write off the hospital bills for your momma’s cancer
treatment? Could He build a new school for the orphans? Can He buy medicine for
a young HIV positive boy? Can He build a shelter for abused girls?
Yes, and yes, again and again. He
can and does perform these monetary miracles everyday.
But the beautiful thing is it is because
His riches are not stocks and investments or real estate or oil fields. His
riches are His grace.
His Grace
Which He lavishes on us.
You are far more important than
anything that can be purchased. A soul is of infinitely greater value than even
a hospital for orphans. Your Father could purchase the land and build the
building and staff it with doctors and medicine but of far greater worth to him
is paying the ransom for your soul. Because if all the schools and orphanages
and hospitals are built but a single soul is lost it is all meaningless.
Think about it, there is a soul, a
sweet creation of God who at this very moment is sitting in a cell of sin,
hands shackled, legs bound, eyes searching for an end to the torment, searching
for a Redeemer.
Someone to pay the ransom and
release them from their pain.
And even though the price is
beyond what you or I could ever even imagine, God from His magnificent, never depleted,
storehouse of grace is counting out the price and laying out the riches of His
grace one by one like a stack of gold coins like piles of crisp $1000 dollar
bills. His abundant riches. His unmerited Grace.
His grace that overshadowed a
young woman and breathed life into her, and the child who grew to be Messiah. The
Savior who walked and talked and lived to be like you. To know you and your
pain. To know your hope and joy. To know your despair and heartache. Jesus, the
most valuable thing God purchased from the riches of His grace, Jesus, who in
turn paid your ransom with His very body on a cross.
Why could Jesus submit to the
cross and feel the precious gift of life drip from Him?
Because He counted the cost and He
knew His Father could pay.
He can pay for the most abundant
blessed joyful peaceful life anyone can ever have. He has the wealth, the
riches, for it all.
And you are worth it.
