(For a PDF file of this poem, see the very end)
My little nephew came to me[i]
And said he had a deal,
I could buy his action toy
And explained its’ great appeal.
He said that I could take it home,
“It’s worth a thousand bucks,”
And if I had another grand,
I’d get his toy truck.
When I asked how he decided
On such a baffling price,
He told me that he likes them both,
And both are very nice.
So, I took the opportunity,
In love, to gently say,
“True value is determined by
What someone will pay.
If a toy is quite special,
But, I’ve no time to play,
If I took it home with me,
It’d just be in the way.
And if another person likes it
And has the time to play,
A thousand bucks may be too much
For them to say ‘O.K.’
So value’s not what people say,
But, rather, what they’ll give,
To get the things they need or want,
For blessings as they live.”
Then my nephew paused to think about
The value of these things
And how much more he could afford
If he became a king.
Then he asked me, “What’s the highest price
A king has ever paid
To get something he wanted
Or have a castle made?”
“Oh,” I said, “The highest price a
A king has ever paid?–
It was to sacrifice himself,
He gave his life in trade.”
But it wasn’t for a castle
Filled with earthly treasure,
It was something so much better –
Eternal love and pleasure.
The thing he purchased was so prized
So cherished and so dear,
That he stepped down into our world[ii]
And why, that He’s still here.[iii]
This king is God, who made all things –
The heavens and the earth. [iv]
He laid down His life for us[v]
And that’s what gives us worth.
See, loving Him requires free will,
We must be free to choose
To accept or to reject Him,
His love to gain or lose.
But with free-will, we also have
The chance to do bad things,
And when a person makes this choice
Then death is what it brings.[vi]
Yet, death is more than dying here,
It’s punishment in Hell,[vii]
And all of us have done bad things,
The Bible clearly tells.[viii]
And God cannot ignore these things,
He’s perfect and He’s just,[ix]
He can’t bypass a single sin,
His judgment is a must.
But, because we are so valuable,
Far more than gold or gems,
He came to take our punishment,[x]
We mean that much to Him.
So, He stepped into time and space,
Yes, God became a man,[xi]
And for us, endured the cross,
He died and rose again. [xii]
And now He’s here and calling us,
So loving and so mild.
He wants us all in Heaven, [xiii]
To make us each His child. [xiv]
[i] Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14
[ii] He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. John 1:10
[iii] And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20
[iv] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. . . The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. John 1:1-3,14
[v] For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, . . . 1 Peter 3:18
[vi] For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23
[vii] But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars–their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” Revelation 21:8
[viii] For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Romans 3:23-24
[ix] He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he. Deuteronomy 32:4
[x] But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:5
[xi] Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death– even death on a cross! Philippians 2:5-8
[xii] For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, . . . 1 Corinthians 15:3-6
[xiii] The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9
[xiv] Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, `Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. Luke 15:3-7