Mark 5:1-20, Gerasene Citizen
I think the last question in today’s reflection really nailed it. Exactly how much is one person worth? What would you give for the life of a child, grandchild or god child? Everything you had, right? But how do we judge the worth of folks totally unrelated to us?
We live in a country where actors and sports figures report salaries in the millions (and they are always fighting for more), while other of us may be unemployed with negative bank accounts worried about tomorrow’s mortgage payment. Exactly what factors should we consider into calculating a person’s worth — their age, gender, looks, education? Should we use a sliding scale? In Jesus’ time, a woman’s worth was easily calculated by her dowry — maybe 2 goats and 5 chickens. But 2,000 pigs – Wow, that is one valuable human, and that was one dirty, deranged outcast. What do you think a beautiful righteous person is worth – 3,000 pigs?
We all carry the exact same value with God – the life of God’s first born child. In total dollars, that makes each of us priceless.