SOLD TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER

As a kid I used to go to auctions, when farmers would die off, and their place was sold. There were many farmers there looking to see if there was any thing they could use on their place.

Some were just interested in seeing all the personal stuff the old people had and were just nosy in general. The farm equipment was always of interest and likewise the live stock. A good cow, some pigs, and chickens were usually at a good price.

Most of the time you could understand what he was saying and knew what you were bidding but at the tobacco barn it was a different story. Once a year the farmers took their tobacco crop to the tobacco sales barn where there would be thousands of pounds of tobacco that had to be sold in a short time. Each farmer’s tobacco would be put on three baskets, and was sold according to its grade. Some of the baskets would have up to eight hundred pounds of tobacco on them.

When the auction started there would be one or two auctioneers a couple of sales price ticket writers, and buyers from all the major tobacco companies. The tension would grow as they readied to start, and then the magic moment came. The sale went as fast as the auctioneer could walk, and you couldn’t understand what he was saying. Once in awhile you could hear something like Amer-i-can (the American tobacco company) or Liggett who sold Camel cigarettes. Each farmer would stand by his baskets, and they would fly quickly by, what had taken him a year to grow. Then nervously they would pickup the ticket and see how much cash they got for their crop. For some this money would have to last far into the summer and beyond.
I went to other auctions like the live stock auction held each week and more recently I have watched the bidding on EBAY.

As I thought back at the past auctions I was reminded of the scripture in mark;
Mark 8:36 "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

The picture in the scripture of man’s state is one of a slave being sold in the slave market. Then Jesus comes on the scene and with one bid purchases all of mankind. The price he paid was far more than anyone could bid. I can see myself as being on the auction block with all the demons of hell bidding for me.

I without the ability to buy my freedom was doomed to servitude to sin forever, and the eternal state of the lost. The auction was held on Mount Calvary where three crosses stood, the price was paid, and I was bought out of the slave market, and now I belong to Christ.
http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=8Q8-cIIk7mo&feature=related