Can You Believe They Were Just Throwing That Away?

          The town that I grew up near had an annual event called the “World’s Largest Garage Sale”. Each year half the town would take all their old junk and put it up for sale, while the other half would root around in it looking for a find. (I always said those people would wait till next year and sale the same old junk back to first group.) One person trying to get rid of something, another man is searching for the same thing.  One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.

          This adage isn’t just true for garage sales. One person quits a dead end job that is making him miserable; another person comes along and takes that same job he sees as exciting because it of its great potential. One person dreams of moving out of the city to the country with open spaces and no one to disturb him.  Another person wants to move into town where everything is and things are going on. One person is weary of the noise and bustle of the house full of people; another person is saddened by the quiet of the empty home. We don’t always see the value that other’s do.

          To many in the world today, the Gospel doesn’t seem like something they think they would have much use for. It is an old item that doesn’t fit in their world. While they perceive it as junk, there are those that see it a real treasure. In 1 Corinthians 1:22-25 Paul writes about people much like we have today. He writes, “For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”  There are those like the Gentiles who see the God, Jesus and the Bible as hokey religion and ancient customs no longer relevant to their lives. There are those like the Jews, that can’t fit God into their lives because they can’t give up their own wants. We however need to see the gospel for what it is, the great hidden treasure (Matthew 13:44) that is worth sacrificing all to obtain. The world may see it as junk but we know it is the greatest treasure!