We rarely get unwanted visitors where we live, just the four-legged variety. We have a few annoying dogs in the area. They often bark, growl, and approach until someone yells and chases them. One of them is a Great Dane, and he’s always egged on by a smaller pit bull mix. Lately, the owners have kept them away except after dark. One night, they were on our porch, dragging my work boots into the yard. We were getting something for nothing, but we didn’t want it.
When we first moved to the neighborhood, we also had a guy who came a few times offering something for nothing. He turned out to be a salesman, selling something, but not for free.
I like those gospel stories where Jesus walks around feeding and healing people and driving out demons for free. Yes, Jesus and His disciples did have to eat and sleep somewhere, but they generally did so at the kindness of others.
When Jesus sent out the twelve and later the seventy-two, He sent them out to share the message of the coming Messiah and to heal the sick for free (Luke 10:1). They, too, were often offered food and a place to stay, but that wasn’t their objective. Their objective was to let the people know how much God loved them—a little different from those who peddle the gospel for profit.
What Jesus gave us during His ministry on earth was free. He died on the cross for us. The consequence of sin is that we must pay with our eternal life in hell. However, believing in Jesus cancels out our sins and results in a gift: heaven.
Each time someone offers you a gift, think about the one free gift that has eternal consequences. Share God’s message of salvation with them and tell them it is free.
Carl Schleede is a writer.