Expensive

“All ready for Easter?” I asked our grocery cashier this morning. She’s one of my favorites at our local store.

“Yeah,” she said, adding, “it’s expensive.”

She has a son who is close to the same age as my daughter, and though we’ve never talked about it, I suspect she’s a single mom. And while I don’t “believe” in commercializing religious holidays, I, too, bought my kids things they don’t need and candy they shouldn’t eat too much of. Add to that the whole reason we were at the store: buying food for our Easter meal. Yes, Easter is expensive.

Later, while I was home fixing lunch, I thought of what I should have said. I always do that. I don’t think quickly. Words, replies, comebacks always come to me slowly, and often too late.

It’s Good Friday. We remember what happened to Jesus this day. How he was dragged in front of political and religious leaders, beaten, lied about, betrayed, abandoned, insulted and executed. Him — God in flesh — suffering the most for the least of us. And, why? So we wouldn’t have to and so God could be in relationship with us.

I still have trouble believing it sometimes. God wants a relationship with me so much that He lets His Son die on a cross?

Yes, Easter is expensive. It cost Jesus his life.

But, thankfully, that’s not the end of the story. Jesus didn’t just die; He was raised from death and lives even now!

What an extravagant gift of God. He didn’t spare anything to give us what we couldn’t give ourselves. He loves to give to his children, his beloved ones.

The gifts I give my children this weekend weren’t expensive, but they did cost me something. It will give me great joy to see them use the gifts, to find joy in them, but it is possible that they will discard the gifts and ignore them.

God has given us all an expensive gift in His Son. What will you do with it?