|
The Free Lunch
“Ho!
Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who
have no money, come buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and
milk without money and without price” (Isaiah
55:1)
Have you ever heard the words, “There’s
no such thing as a free lunch?” New York Mayor
Fiorello LaGuardia spoke those words in 1934, and the
phrase was often used by economist Milton Friedman.
Most of us have heard it and understand it means that
you can’t get something for nothing. It’s a concept
known in economics as “opportunity
cost.” Even if something appears to be free,
there’s a catch. You may get free food at the grand
opening of a store, but the owner of the store has in
mind that you will become a regular customer and he
hopes you’ll tell your friends so they’ll be customers
too. The “free” food is a “loss leader,” drawing you in
so you will spend your money.
Though it is possible to seem to
get a “free lunch” (like when a company cuts costs and
gains competitive advantage by polluting the air),
someone ends up paying the cost of the “lunch.” In the
example of polluting the air, there is a social cost
that is permanent, lasting and very expensive. The cost
is paid in the lungs and lives of our children.
The following two items are
examples of excessive frugality, from Christianglobe.com
–
This is a true account. “One
of history's most miserly millionaires was John G.
Wendel, who died at his home in New York City. Seeking
to keep their inherited fortune in the family, Wendel
and five of his six sisters remained unmarried. He
instilled such frugality in his sisters that when the
last one died in 1931, it was found that although her
estate amounted to more than $100 million, she never had
a telephone, electricity, or an automobile. Her only
dress was one she had made herself and worn for nearly
25 years.”
The following is an apocryphal
account of what might have happened when Mr. Wendel
died: “His sister asked the
newspaper how much it would cost for a death notice.
They responded, ‘Two dollars for five words.’ She
asked, ‘Can I pay for just two words? – Wendel dead!’
The reply was: ‘No, two dollars is the minimum. You
still have three words.’ She thought a moment; then she
said, ‘Cadillac for sale.’”
Most spend either far too much or
far too little in life, not realizing that money like
everything else we have is just a gift from God that was
intended for us to help others. “Our” resources are
actually “loaned” to us for HIS purposes. He DOES give
to us bountifully and freely, though quite often not
like we would expect.
Char Sims is a member of our Prayer
Team and a regular attendee at the Sunday Fellowship of
Friday Study Ministries. She is a cancer patient
undergoing chemotherapy and told us about a recent
instance when the Lord “spoke to (her) heart” –
She said, “I
was feeling down and came into my room to be alone with
the Lord and pray. I was feeling like my life was going
nowhere and here is what the Lord said to me: ‘Char,
right now I want you to have ‘horizontal vision.’ Don't
look around you or focus on what is going on in the
world. At this time in your life, I am your employer and
your job is to get well (I have breast cancer). Your
bank account is my Word – and you will NEVER go
bankrupt!! And your greatest asset in this life is
prayer. Know that I love you and keep your mind and
heart on these things!!’” OUR solution for Char
might include an immediate physical healing and then
winning the lottery. But God meets needs in a much
higher way. Our greater need might be a pat on the arm
when nothing else will do.
Char spoke about a recent time in
chemotherapy. She told of “a
little lady in her 70’s,” who was receiving “multiple
needles along with a number of drinks full of chemicals.”
The lady, who had no hair, reached over to Char next to
her, patted her arm and comforted her. There are times
in cancer and other severe problems, when money is
worthless compared to the loving touch of someone who
understands your distress. God gives FREELY to those “who
have no money,” (Isaiah 55:1), reaching out
through those who care.
As in our verse for today, God
sends people and no doubt He sends His holy angels to
us, and they are like comforting “waters”
in a desert. We are given His Spirit, who is “wine
and milk” to those in need, for He knows that
money and even our health will melt away in a moment.
We need so much more.
Isaiah Chapter 55, continues in
verse 2 with the excellent question: “Why
do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages
for what does not satisfy?” I teach a study in
Psalms each Thursday morning to somewhere between 15 and
50 people. Most are elderly and almost all of them are
in wheelchairs. If you asked me for one word that
defined what they all have in common, it would be this
one: SURPRISE!
Just “yesterday” they were young,
vital, with homes, sufficient income, cars, children,
hobbies, and plans for the future. And now, all of that
is gone. Instead of working at jobs or serving within
families where they care for others, they now can do
little and are being cared FOR! And they’re astonished
at the change.
Jesus said, “Do
not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth
and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;
but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where
neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not
break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19-20). Cancer is
like a “rust” that
destroys us. Aging and illness are like “thieves”
that steal everything we hold dear. And yet, God has
good purposes in all that He allows.
There was a song written in the
1920’s, called “The Best
Things in Life Are Free”. It pointed out that
the sun, moon, robins and flowers are free to all, not
unlike a walk on the beach with the one you love or a
baby’s smile. Or the gift of life from the Son of God.
The “free lunch” that God gives is
indeed “without price.”
There are no strings, but in reality, the great price
was already been paid by God Himself. Jesus observed, “If
the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed”
(John 8:36), and we are set free through His death on
the cross. It was costly for God, but it’s honestly and
completely free for you.
Thank You, Father, for giving us
EVERYTHING in Your Son, who died that we might live. We
trust in You now. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Ron Beckham, Pastor
Friday Study Ministries
www.FridayStudy.org
www.FirstChurchontheNet.org
E-mail:
Ron@FridayStudy.org
Tel:
(562) 688-5559
PO Box 92131
Long Beach, CA 90809-2131
"While
we were yet sinners, Christ died for us"
(Romans
5:8)
|
