For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 (ESV)
In 2012, over 31 million students received either a free or reduced lunch through the National School Lunch Program.* Well over 12,000 students in Springfield Public Schools receive f/r lunch. While this program is vital to the health and well-being of these students, it is misnamed.
As important as these meals are, they are not "free". The meals are funded through the National School Lunch Program which is a program of the USDA. The USDA is a Federal agency that is funded by taxpayers. So in essence, these meals are not even free to the families of the students who receive them if the family pays any Federal taxes at all.
The "gift of God" Paul references in Romans 6:23 is not free. Free to us. Yes. Free to His Son? Most certainly not!
Jesus, who willingly left heaven's splendor, spent thirty-three years on earth as a man and died an unimaginably painful death so we can have this "free" gift. Jesus, God incarnate, allowed Himself to be mocked, beaten, and tortured to bring us this "free" gift. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, had his Father turn his back on him in order to make this "free" gift available.
During this season of Lent, let us not forget nothing is "free". There are no free lunches and the gift of salvation was not free to Jesus Christ. It cost him his life.
http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/NSLPFactSheet.pdf
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