By Pastor Jeff Jacobs
Unity Lutheran Parish –
St. Paul, Saetersdal and
St. Matthew’s, Granger
Decades before cell phones and internet, long before television or radio, the fastest way to send a message was by telegraph. But it was not always the most precise, as a story from that era illustrates.
In the 1890s, a wealthy lady was traveling through Europe when she came upon a gorgeous diamond necklace in Paris. It cost 50,000 francs, an extravagant $30,000 today, so she thought it advisable to get her husband’s opinion and telegraphed him in the States: “Wish to buy 50,000 franc necklace”
Receiving that message, her husband sent a telegram back: “No – expense too great” However, it must be noted that early telegrams did not have much punctuation to speak of, and there was no dash, comma or semicolon in his brief reply. Thus the message the woman received was, “No expense too great” – and she happily purchased the necklace!
No – expense too great … No expense too great. As we have entered again this Holy Week and trace Christ’s final steps to the cross, we see how our gracious, self-giving Savior punctuates that sentence.
He does not balk or run away or complain, “No! Expense too great!” He accepts the burden, he endures betrayal, denial and abandonment by his friends, he faces contempt and condemnation from his enemies, he bears suffering and death on the cross, all to redeem his broken, wayward, sinful people.
No expense too great … No expense too great … No expense too great to forgive us, to save us, to grant us His new life.
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