Yoder: The Soul Price
By Kathy Yoder
The man was exhausted, worn from running endlessly nowhere. At first, he chased big dreams and he caught them. He worked hard to be the very best. He was happy, for a while.
But then unwelcome, nagging thoughts creeped in like they were old relatives with bad manners who always point out what should be left unsaid. “How much did you pay for this carpet? Well, whatever it was, it’s too much. You know it’ll never last. It’s already showing the wear and tear of life. Nope, never last.”
And that’s how many people see him. All worn out. Not worth the saving. Someone to discard. He heard the comments. “He used to be the best, but he’s lost his edge.”
“Gotten soft. It’s a cutthroat world and he’s been cut out. Too bad. He was really going places.”
“He’s a has-been who’s come and gone. Good riddance.”
The room is packed. People were fighting to be around him when he was at the top. Even more are here to witness his great fall. The auctioneer steps up to the front. He begins without introduction. Everyone knows him, a legend in these parts.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, I have an unusual item for sale today. It doesn’t look like much. It’s a soul. The owner gave it away for next to nothing. Anyone want to bid on it?” No one moves an inch.
“Surely it’s worth something. It can always decorate the garage. Hang it in the corner to keep the mice away.” Everyone laughs. “Someone give me ten bucks. Who’ll give me ten?”
The man stands still. He’s no longer able to run or do much of anything, except live with regret and sadness, his two unfriendly companions. He knows from painful experience that the view from the top isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. How foolish he’s been. He threw away the one valuable thing he had. Wishing he could erase the day he traded his soul for applause. Wishing for a drink to numb the ache. He’d spent years chasing shadows (wealth, praise, power) only to find them empty. Now, standing exposed, he sees the truth: his soul was the prize he never should’ve sold.
“If only I could get it back,” the man says quietly. It’s the closest thing to a prayer he’s uttered in a long time. “I’m so sorry.”
Then, through the jeering crowd, a stranger steps forward, hooded and silent. He slowly walks to the front, drawing curious stares and snickers. “Who’s this character?” someone mutters.
The auctioneer continues, “How about five dollars?” Who’ll give me five? Come on people. We have to sell this before we can move on to the good stuff. How about a dollar? One dollar?”
No one bids on the man’s soul. Standing to the side with his head hanging down, he’s too ashamed to look up. Too tired to move even his eyes. But something in the room has changed. There’s an unusual electricity. He lifts his head and sees the stranger just as he begins to speak.
“I’ll buy the soul.”
The auctioneer smiles. “Okay, what’ll you give? You name your terms.”
“I’ll give my life in exchange for this soul.”
People cannot believe what they hear. There are gasps. Someone swears. Another laughs nervously. Everyone stands completely still. They know that something out of the ordinary’s happening and they don’t want to miss a thing.
“What did you say, Mister?” asks the auctioneer.
“I’ll give my life for this man’s soul.”
“Are you sure? He’s just a man. Not that great, from what I hear. Only thinks of himself. Stepped over people on the way to the top and now he’s fallen so far he has to step up to reach the gutter. Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.” The man takes his hood and drops it off his head. His eyes are beautiful and piercing. His voice softens, steady as a whisper carried on wind. “I’ve watched you stumble, yet never turned away. Your worth isn’t in what you’ve lost, but in who you are.” He looks at the man without a soul as if he sees into his soul.
All the man can say is “Why? Why me?”
“Because my Father loves you. He created you. He misses you and wants you to come home. I love you, too. You’re more valuable to us than anything that can be bought or sold. In fact, you’re more precious to us than my own life.”
He walks over to the man and holds out his hands. That’s when the man sees the scars in his hands. “I died so that you can live. Really live. Do you want your soul back?”
“I do,” the man says quietly, tears streaming down his face. “My Lord, I do.”
“Auctioneer, this man is worth much more than money. This man is worth my life. I gladly give it for his soul.”
The spectators stare at the man they were ready to throw away. Silence falls heavy. Eyes once cold with scorn now flicker with awe, as if seeing the man anew, a treasure hidden beneath the dust of his broken past.
“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8:36-37). One soul, once discarded, now reclaimed. Proof that no one is beyond grace.
Kathy Yoder is a devotional writer. She may be reached at kathyyoder4@gmail.com and Kathyyoder.com.
