THANKFUL FOR A DOLLAR
One of my friends told her young daughter (who was lamenting the fact that she only had one or two good friends) the following: “Better to have four quarters than 100 pennies.”
I had never heard that expression before, but instantly I loved it and its implication. It’s better to have a few, very close friends who are of great value versus many acquaintances who do not know the true you and who flit in and out of your life.
Of course there’s room for both, right? The four quarters and the 100 pennies? Christ certainly seemed to think so. He had twelve quarters! The twelve disciples were hand-picked by Christ to live alongside Him during His earthly ministry. He taught them, prayed with them, spent quiet time with them, was encouraged by (and was encouragement to) them. He loved these men, as they labored for the church, offered to die with Him, and gave up their lives for Him. They were men of tremendous value. They were the quarters.
But Christ also loved those 100 pennies in His life - -the prostitutes, the tax collectors, the little children, the hungry listeners gathered to hear Him or be healed by Him, the “sinners.” There was the Samaritan “penny” at the well (John 4:1-26), the tree-climbing “penny” Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10), the paralytic “penny” at the Pool of Bethesda (John 5:1:15) and the list could go on and on.
Yes, Christ surrounded Himself with close friends, but His life was also full of common folks interacting with Him for a brief, blessed moment. And Christ welcomed the influx of people (May the same be said of us!). This is because Christ didn’t see them as “pennies” not worthy of His time. He saw them as invaluable souls, regardless of their earthly status. He viewed them as the valuable “quarter,” a deeply loved child of His. Christ was thankful for a dollar, no matter how it was compiled.
We see such a beautiful illustration of this in Matthew 18:12-13: “If a man owns a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.” The shepherd didn’t say “Oh well... it’s only one sheep, I still have 99. We weren’t really that close anyway.” No, he wanted all of His sheep with Him, listening to His loving voice, held safely in His loving arms.
We are all equally valuable in God’s sight, regardless of our sins, our past, our corrupted nature. No soul is worth more than another. Christ died to forgive every sin and cleanse every person. Our Heavenly Father knows the value of your soul isn’t worth a penny, it isn’t worth a quarter – it’s worth the blood of His Son. Who can fathom this tremendous gift from God? How can we become “used to” this life-altering news?
Additionally, how can we become complacent in sharing it? How can we help but use it to shape our perspective on the incalculable worth of others? How could it not affect how we treat them?
C.S. Lewis talks about this very point in his beautiful essay “The Weight of Glory.” The excerpt below sharpens the lens through which we should view all people:
“It may be possible for each to think too much of his own potential glory hereafter; it is hardly possible for him to think too often or too deeply about that of his neighbors...[R]emember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations.
It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics....There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal...[I]t is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit -- immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.”
Hold your quarters close, your friends who encourage you in the Lord and who comfort and strengthen you with His word. They truly are gifts! But remember that there are no accidental pennies in your life. Every person who crosses your path is someone you can shine Christ’s light upon and share (in big or small ways) the joy of Christ’s salvation. Every person you meet is equally valuable to our Heavenly Father. May we treat them all as such!
Prayer: Jesus, remind us that while our close friends are treasures from You, that it is also important for us to expand our scope of community if we are to fulfill the commission You gave us in Matthew – to “go and make disciples.” Sometimes we get too hunkered down with our quarters that we miss the pennies you put in our lives, the people who do not yet know You -- but could -- as You work through our words and actions. Please open our eyes for those chances to shine and speak for You, Lord. Give us the strength and wisdom to love others as You have loved us. Lord, also remind us of our own value when Satan works overtime to make us doubt our worth. You chose us before time; You make no mistakes. Speak life over us; remind us of the price You paid to restore our broken relationship with Your father. You give us value Jesus. Let us live lives of thanks for your sacrifice!