This past week at church we began our Easter series by looking at the word Redeemer. We defined a “redeemer” as one who pays our bill…who purchases our debts… and thus frees us from slavery. A friend sent this story. Perhaps it illustrates a “redeemer” better.
There once was a man named George Thomas, pastor in a small New England town. One Easter Sunday morning he came to the Church carrying a rusty, bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit.
Eyebrows were raised and, as if in response, Pastor Thomas began to speak. It seems he was walking through town the day before, when he saw a young boy swinging a bird cage. On the bottom of the cage were three little wild birds, shivering with fright.
He stopped the lad and asked, “What do you have there, son?”
“Just some old birds,” came the reply.
“What are you fixing to do with them?” the pastor asked.
“Take 'em home and have some fun,” the boy answered. “Then I'm gonna tease 'em and see if I can make 'em fight.” Then he added suspiciously, “Ain‟t no law against that, is there?”
“No, I suppose not. But then what are you going to do with them? After you get tired of playing with them?”
“I’ve got me some cats,” said the little boy. “They like birds. I'll let 'em have 'em when I’m done.”
The pastor looked at the young man for awhile. After mulling things over in his mind, he asked, “How much do you want for those birds, son?”
“Huh?” he muttered. “What would you want them for? They're just plain old birds. They don't sing or nothing. They ain't even pretty!”
“How much?” the pastor repeated.
The youngster sized the man up and tried to figure on a price he thought the man would pay. “Ten dollars,” he said with a touch of "I-dare-you." But the pastor took the dare. He reached for his wallet, took out a ten dollar bill, and placed it in the boy's hand. The boy handed over the cage…and in a flash, was gone.
The minister carried the cage to the end of the alley where he saw some trees and grass…and there set the birds free.
“Well, that explains the empty cage,” said the pastor to his audience, “but now let me tell you the moral of my story…”
“One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan had just come from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting. "Yes, sir, I just caught a world full of people down there. Set me a trap. Used bait I knew they couldn't resist. And got 'em all!"
“What are you going to do with them?" Jesus asked. And Satan replied, "Oh, I'm gonna have fun! I'm gonna teach them how to marry and divorce, how to use and abuse each other, how to lie and cheat and steal. I’ll teach them how to hate…and how to kill. And on top of that, I’m going to teach them how to curse you! I’m going to do all sorts of things with them…but mostly, I’m just going to do with 'em whatever I want!"
“And what will you do when done with them?" Jesus asked.
"That’s the best part" Satan said triumphantly. "That’s when I’ll destroy them!"
“How much do you want for them?" Jesus asked.
“Why do you want to know? They aren’t any good. If you buy them they won’t appreciate you. Most of 'em won’t even care, and in the end the majority of them will just hate you. They’ll spit on you, curse you and even kill you! I’m telling you, you don’t want these folks."
“How much?" Jesus asked again.
Satan looked at Jesus and defiantly sneered, "Alright then. I’ll take your dare. It’ll cost you your blood, your flesh and your life."
Without hesitation, Jesus said, "Done!"
And upon becoming the redeemer he paid the price on a hill called Calvary.”
With that, the preacher picked up the cage…turned to his audience and said, “Happy Easter.”
Story taken from our church newsletter
