Mark 12:16 They brought the coin, and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?" "Caesar's," they replied.
It’s amazing what some people will pay to own something of a famous person. Earlier this morning, I was on Ebay looking at trading cards. I came across one that is described as ‘the holy grail of sports cards.’ It’s a 1952 autographed card of Mickey Mantle when he played for the Yankees. There are only 29 of these cards in existence and this one is in near mint condition.
The asking price? A mere $115,000. If you don’t believe me, then you can view it here: Mickey Mantle. Not bad for a mere portrait and inscription. I would have to sell half of my house to buy it, so I guess I won’t be adding it to my collection.
When I read this morning’s Gospel passage (Mark 12:13-17), I couldn’t help but smile. I wondered how much the Pharisees and Herodians would have valued the denarius if it had Christ’s portrait and a “Love One Another” inscription on it. They probably would have thrown it back in Jesus’ face. They were looking for a reason to trap Him and make Him look foolish in the eyes of the people, but they ended up with egg on their faces and left bewildered and amazed.
The story also makes me wonder what price I would be willing to pay for my salvation? A denarius? A dollar? $115,000? How much is God’s grace, Christ’s forgiveness, and everlasting life worth to me? Even everything that I own could never be enough to pay for those gifts of infinite value. I need Christ to inscribe the word ‘forgiven’ on my heart. I need His blood to cleanse me of my unholiness. I need Jesus to sacrificially offer Himself on the Cross at Calvary in order to be completely and eternally saved, and so does everyone else.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, there are many things we own in the world that become valuable possessions and priceless items in our lives. But no matter what we have or even covet, they are nothing compared to our salvation through You. When all of our possessions, money, trading cards, and treasures have turned to dust, Your Cross will outlast and outshine them all. Thank You for the everlasting gift of salvation. We are indebted to You forever. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.
John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville , Tennessee
Today’s image is taken from John’s Psalm collection. It depicts Christ on the Cross in the style of Van Gogh’s Starry Night. The written verse comes from the 86th psalm. A larger version of the drawing can be viewed here: Psalm 86.
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