Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” Matthew 19:16
This verse could be paraphrased more or less as follows: A man comes up to Jesus and asks how much it is going to cost him to get into heaven. What is the going rate for a ticket to heaven?
When it comes to transportation costs, it seems as if they only go in one direction — up. There are many variables that have to be considered when determining how much a particular ticket is going to cost. One of the most significant factors in determining the cost (and thus the value) of a ticket for transportation is the destination. If the destination is relatively close to your present location, it may be that you could provide the means of transportation yourself and not even need a ticket in the first place. If the destination is only a mile or so away, you may have a suitable solution; either your own vehicle or your own two feet!
But, what if your destination isn’t so close or so easily reached; what if it will require a ticket of some kind after all? For instance, if the place you are desiring to reach is on the other side of a body of water, you will need a way to get there. As a general rule, you cannot walk there (although Peter did have that one short walk upon the water). How much is that going to cost you?
After determining your destination, you will have to decide upon a mode of transportation and that will also play a part in determining the cost of your ticket. You may choose to take a canoe or a cruise ship or anything in between and each one will involve a price. It might seem as if the canoe rental is a really good deal until you set out across the ocean only to realize that the vessel you have invested in to get you where you want to go can never get you there; it’s not capable of transporting you to your desired destination.
We can now take these factors and answer the question of the day: What is the price of a ticket to heaven? This is the question put to Jesus in our verse. We are going far beyond an afternoon walk or even a cruise across the ocean — we are looking for the price to go from time to eternity.
Your first inclination may be, as it is with the man in our verse, to determine what you can do to earn one of those tickets. After all, if you do enough good things, surely they will be redeemable as points toward a one-way trip to eternity when the time comes. But these tickets are not for sale. You could never be good enough to earn one of these tickets nor could you do enough good things to pay your way.
This ticket has, in fact already been purchased and they are not available for re-sale on the secondary market. You can’t trade for it. Jesus died for you so that you could have eternal life, if you will receive His free gift. The ticket is free, but it’s not without a cost. Jesus paid the price for you. The cross of Christ is the price of a ticket to heaven!
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