The redemption of souls is costly

Psalm 49

February 21

    The movie Risen has just been released and although I haven’t seen it, I obviously like the premise. A man who claimed He would rise from the dead apparently did so, and a Roman guard is tasked with the impossible job of finding the dead man’s body. It is impossible because the body ascended to heaven.

    Today’s reading is for everyone, verse 1 says, “all peoples…all inhabitants of the earth… lowly and high, poor and rich.” The passage mostly talks about the wealthy who trust their wealth. Understand, being rich is not a sin, and being poor does not make you virtuous. But beyond that, neither poverty, nor wealth, nor wisdom, nor ignorance can save you from death.

⁷ No one can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him—
⁸ For the redemption of their souls is costly, and it shall cease forever—
⁹ That he should continue to live eternally, and not see the Pit.

    Redemption of souls is more expensive than any person could ever pay. The writer goes on to say the wise and the fools alike both die and leave everything behind. No one’s legacy, even the most honorable, lasts forever. The grave takes everything. Kind of pessimistic, huh?

     Except…there is a verse 15: “But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, for He shall receive me.”

     God is the only One who could pay the price, the ransom, to redeem our souls. Some ask, "Why is Christianity the only way?" What other faith sets forth that it is God and not man's efforts who provides for our salvation? The Owner of our souls is also the Purchaser of our souls, so He alone determines the payment and only He can pay it. He did so with Jesus Christ's death and resurrection. 

     Like the soldier in Risen, we should seek after the One who claimed He would rise from the dead. But as Christ said, we should not seek the living among the dead. And rich or poor, smart or dumb, we should use what will not last for what can never fade away.