'Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body..... You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men.'
- The Apostle Paul, 1 Corinthians
'For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'
-Jesus of Nazareth
1 Peter 1:17–19 (ESV)
17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
Many human beings, although all are made in God's image, consider themselves as worthless, devoid of value. They often linger in the shadows of our cities, heads hanging low, and are unsurprised when others treat them without dignity or honour. In contrast, when receiving care and compassion from others, they may sometimes ask, 'Why are you doing this? I don't deserve this.
We must also consider the sobering reality that, under the watchful eye of unrestrained capitalism, large numbers of humanity are objectified and commodified, gaining their value only in the sense in which they can advance the economic interests of the elite. In this way of thinking, many human beings offer nothing of inherent value; they are seen as collateral damage when they stand against the interests of empire, colonialism, or profit. In the hierarchy of oppression, factors such as geographical location, gender, skin color, culture, or class present a sliding scale of worth. This is borne out by the climate emergency, where the brunt of suffering is borne by people of color. Yet, so far, these consequences of actions don’t seem to change the intentions of capitalism and consumerist interests in the global north.
With this contemporary context, we return to our discussion of the crucifixion of Jesus, and more specifically to Jesus’ self-understanding regarding his death. In the book of Mark, the earliest of the Gospels, Jesus three times predicts his own death and suffering (Mark 8:31-33; Mark 9:30-32; and Mark 10:32-34). He knows, with prophetic insight, that he will be rejected, delivered over, condemned to death, mocked, spat upon, flogged, and killed. Jesus also knows that this is not the end of the story; he will be vindicated, and he will rise again. Just after the third of these passion predictions, Jesus states, in response to a dispute from James and John, that 'he came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.' (Mark 10:45)
Jesus does not mean to say that he has come from Galilee, but rather from the heavenly realm. This is the beginning of the great humbling, the incarnation, which would reach its climax in the cross. The eternal Son of God emptied himself, being born in the likeness of men; he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:7-8). The telos, the mission, of Jesus the God-Man was to provide a ransom (elytron) for many. A ransom is that which is paid to bring release to others, a sum paid to secure the freedom of prisoners or slaves.
In other words, Jesus' death, in some mysterious sense, is the 'price' that is paid to secure release for that which one values and ascribes worth to. A ransom paid brings redemption, and the early Christians, drawing on the scriptures of old, would be reminded that YHWH is the redeemer who delivered his people in the exodus from the evil of Empire (Deuteronomy 7:8; Isaiah 35:10), and that YHWH promised he would bring redemption to those in Zion trapped in sin and transgression (Isaiah 59:20). YHWH is both the redeemer, and in the giving of himself the ransom.
Let's pause here and marvel at the mystery. Jesus, in some mysterious sense, died for sins to bring forgiveness and break the power of sin. A price was paid to bring freedom, and this price indicates the worth and value of that which is enslaved. The early church confessed, professed, and rejoiced in the fact that they were bought with a price, and that price was no other than the death of the Eternal Son of God embodied in the God-Man, Jesus.
In the death of Jesus, we see the value and worth of humanity. Yes, we are sinners and worthy of judgment, but we are also a treasured possession. Just as the kingdom is described as a pearl of great price, for which a merchant sells all he has to gain it, so humanity, in its beauty and brokenness, is that which is loved to such an extent that the Son turns his face towards Jerusalem, suffers, and dies.
The cross speaks. It speaks to those who see themselves as without worth and says, 'You are so precious and loved that the eternal Son would willingly die.' It whispers to the broken, 'You are valuable, and I cannot abide with you living in the slavery of sin. I will redeem you.' It sings over the downtrodden, 'Lift up your heads; freedom is here. I see you, I know you, I love you.'
The cross speaks to those who oppress the poor and devalue humans, to those who commodify and crucify the world's most vulnerable. The cross speaks: 'Repent, change your ways. The vulnerable are worth more than profits, and they are more valuable than growth. I have bought them with a heavenly price and at great cost, and you should treat them as such.'
Charlotte was 50. Passed from pillar to post in the care system, and now as an adult moving from one abusive relationship to another. In moments of honesty she says to her pastoral workers, "It's what I deserve, I wish I was dead, nobody cares."
During the weekly healing workshops she attends, they spend time thinking about the cross of Jesus. And then it dawned on her, "My life has value. I was bought with a price. Jesus loves me and shows this love by dying for me so I can be free from the powers and consequences of sin and shame. When Charlotte receives the bread at the weekly Eucharist, she smiles and says, 'Thank you, Jesus.' She intends to live out her days, before she meets Jesus face to face, one step at a time, as one who is loved, cherished, and valued.
