The story is told of a little Swedish boy who walked along the street one day very sad at heart. Albert’s mother was sick; he wanted to buy her some fruit but he only had a few pennies in his pocket. As he walked along he passed one of the estates that belonged to the King of Sweden. There in the beautiful gardens large bunches of luscious ripe grapes hung on the vines.
How good they looked, and as he stood and eyed them he thought of his mother. Picking up courage, Albert ventured to ask the gardener if he would sell him one of those bunches of grapes. The gardener, however, was a stern man and told Albert, “No, these grapes belong to the King.”
It so happened that the King’s son standing by overheard the conversation. He felt sorry for young Albert. Albert was almost overwhelmed when the young prince cut off two fine bunches of grapes and put them in his hand.
“Sir,” said Albert, “how much money do you want for these grapes?”
“I don’t want anything for them,” replied the Prince. “My father does not sell them. He is the King and he gives!”
How happy Albert was as he ran home and presented the lovely grapes to his sick mother, as a gift of the King.
Now God is like that, but oh so much more. It is His joy to give. We learn from the New Testament that He is a giving God, and that we are poor needy sinners, who have nothing to pay. And God has given His best — His only beloved Son. He could not have given more. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16).
Salvation is not to be bought with money, nor it is something we can work for, as many would have us to believe. Salvation is a gift from God, the Giver. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” Eph. 2:8,98For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8‑9).
“The wages of sin is death; but 1 The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Rom. 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23). Have you this gift, dear reader?
ML 09/17/1967