Have you ever considered what ultimately determines an items value, and what makes one thing worth more than another? Seriously, why is the painting hanging in the Louvre worth so much more than the painting my child just produced, especially considering you would be hard pressed to tell the difference between the two? The answer is both simple and revealing. An item is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Those $400 shoes are only worth $400 because someone is willing to pay that for them. That million dollar painting, although it looks like a child made it, is worth millions because someone was willing to part with millions in order to own it.
So in essence, it does not matter how valuable you think it is, nor how much you believe it is worth, the price tag will only reflect what someone is willing to pay. I know I might be oversimplifying things, and I am sure my economically astute readers (such as my father) are likely yelling something about equilibrium points on supply-demand curves. However, for all practical purposes one could safely define an item’s worth simply by knowing what price someone is willing to pay for it. I hope everyone caught that, especially those of you that collect sports cards or comic books. It may come in handy mitigating the symptoms of shock you will likely experience when you try and sell your collections.
All joking aside, this simple understanding can help us answer some pretty profound questions. For example what is the value of a human life? Have you ever thought about this before? Believe it or not there are many possible answers to this question. If you ever inquire the answer you receive will likely depend on who you are asking. Each explanation will probably differ in amount and in currency. It doesn’t matter if the estimate is high or low, or if the currency is in convenience or dollars, the figure you receive is ultimately going to fall incredibly short of its true value.
Let me try answering this question with one devastating truth. The value of a human life can not be measured in dollars and cents, but it is measured in the price that was actually payed. Whether you realize it or not an amount has been paid, and we have been bought with a price (1 Cor 6:19-20). The payment was staggeringly high, and eclipses any figure the most liberal of economist could possibly conceive. What is that price? It is the blood and life of the Son of God. By no other means did God find fit to secure our eternal redemption than with the lifeblood of his very own Son (Heb 9:12). God willingly redeemed us not because we merited it, nor were we inherently worth it. He did it simply because He was willing to pay that price. If this isn’t awe inspiring I don’t know what is.
To Be Continued