Coffee Chat

Two men, Mike and Graham, were talking together over a cup of coffee. Mike was telling Graham about how his brother had just died suddenly and had left a house full of junk that had to be cleared away.

“There was nothing of value there,” said Mike, “Stuart was always a bit of a hoarder and would never throw anything away. Magazines, books, records, Stu had hundreds of them.” Graham, who was a collector at heart, pricked up his ears.

“Books?” he said, feeling curious, “I don’t suppose he had any old books.”

“Oh there were plenty of old books,” came the reply, “but I’d never heard of half of them.”

“Really?” said Graham.

“Yes. There was one scruffy old thing – a Bible – somebody named Guten- something had printed it, but it was in some sort of old English that I couldn’t read”

“Not Gutenberg!” exclaimed the book lover in horror. “That Bible was one of the first books ever printed.  Why, a copy of it recently sold for over two million pounds.”

“Well this one wouldn’t,” said Mike with conviction. “It was ruined.  Somebody called Martin Luther had scribbled all over it in German.”

I doubt if this story is true – although perhaps it is.  After all, people so often have something of worth within their grasp and fail to realise its true value. A Gutenberg Bible would indeed be a much sought-after prize and would sell at a very high price.

But what, at the end of the day, determines value? The Bible in our story would have a great value but only because somebody, somewhere, truly wanted it for its rarity or its antiquity.  Something’s worth is represented by what someone is willing to give for it.

So if you want to find something of true worth, just go and look in the mirror.  For God places a great value on you as an individual.  The Bible – not just a Gutenberg, but any Bible – tells us that God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son.  Although the verse speaks of the world as a whole, the giving was on a personal level.  God gave His Son to die a shameful death on the cross because He loved and valued you and me as an individuals.

I repeat what I said earlier - Something’s worth is represented by what someone is willing to give for it.  If God gave His Son for you, think how precious you are to Him.

DAILY MESSAGES WITH MEANING (03/09/24)

Written by STEPHEN TRESEDER 

All photos courtesy of Unsplash