Sharing the Savior’s Story

What are You Worth? II

Figuring out the worth of something is difficult. A sea captain told his passengers about a different Atlantic crossing he had made. On that trip his ship had sunk. Only by acting quickly did the crew escape into the lifeboat. The sea’s roughness made it seem unlikely that the small vessel could stay afloat. Then they saw another steamer. A lantern with a candle was in the emergency supplies. But there was no match. Every man rummaged in his pockets. No match. They checked again, and at last, one match was found. The man who discovered it handed it with reverence to the mate; the mate with the same respect gave it to an officer; and finally, it was gently placed into the hands of the captain. The sailors clustered around and held up their jackets to keep out the wind. The captain commented to his listeners that he had handled precious cargo before, but none with greater gentleness than that match. A worthless match had new value because it meant hope.

Excerpt from The Lutheran Hour broadcast of: January 19, 2003