What's a life worth?

Two, apparently unrelated, items of news this week, have prompted that question.

It would appear that, to the Israeli Government, one life - that of Sgt.Major Gilad Shalit - is worth more than a thousand terrorists, at least one of whom, Wafa al-Bis, on her release, publicly announced that she would seize any opportunity to mount another suicide mission [against Israel and its citizens] and encouraged dozens of cheering schoolchildren to follow her example. This, of course, has been the concern of many since the Israeli Government announced the terms of its agreement with the Palestinian group, Hamas.

The other item concerns the decision of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to pay a flat fee of £750.00 to women who donate an egg for the purposes of artificial fertilisation.  This is not a 'ceiling' above which necessary expenses will not be paid, but a straightforward, potentially profitable, fee.  The concern, here, is that in the current economic climate, some women from a poor background, will see this as a "nice little earner" and, effectively, start to 'sell' eggs in the same way as some in the U.S.of A. 'sell' blood donations.

Of course, neither 1,000+ terrorists, nor £750.00 come anywhere close to the value that Almighty God places on every individual human life.  The Gospel makes it perfectly clear that each one of us is of such value to Him, that, in the Persona of the Son (the Lord Jesus Christ - Almighty God in human flesh), He gave Himself as the perfect sacrifice for your sinfulness, and mine.

Paul puts it like this: "While we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.  Why, one will hardly die for a righteous man - though perhaps for a good man one will dare even to die.  But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us." (Rom 5:6-8; RSV).

What's a life worth?  The very blood of the Lord Jesus.  Now that's what I call awesome!