How much is a soul worth?

When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. “What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?” Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.” He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region. (Matthew 8:28–34)

One of the strangest visuals of the disciples’ time with Jesus must have been the time when they saw a legion of demons enter a herd of pigs and send them running headlong off a cliff into a lake. The demons had just been cast out of two tomb-dwelling madmen in a striking display of Jesus’ power over the spiritual forces of evil. And when the men who were tending the pigs saw this spectacle, they ran off to tell the townspeople what had happened. But when the citizens came out to meet the man who had set the demon-possessed men free, they did not thank Jesus, nor did they bow down and worship Him. Instead, they pleaded with Him to leave.

What??? Why would they do such a thing?

Although the text doesn’t explain their motives, an educated guess would be that Jesus had just sent a large part of their economy under water. On these citizens’ metaphorical scale, that loss outweighed the restoration of the two demon-possessed men. And so, rather than praise God for saving these two men’s lives, they were upset with Jesus and asked him to leave.

This story begs the question:  how much is a soul worth? How much would you be willing to sacrifice in order to see another person saved, restored, brought to spiritual life? What if it took cancer, or the death of a loved one, or the loss of a job, to bring you to a place where the work of God in your life was so powerful that others were saved by your testimony?
Take to heart the words of Charles Spurgeon in his book The Soul Winner:

Suppose that, by some painful operation, you could have your right arm made a little longer. I do not suppose you would care to undergo the operation; but if you foresaw that, by undergoing the pain, you would be enabled to reach and save drowning men who else would sink before your eyes, I think you would willingly bear the agony, and pay a heavy fee to the surgeon to be thus qualified for the rescue of your fellows.
 
Reckon, then, that to acquire soul-winning power you will have to go through fire and water, through doubt and despair, through mental torment and soul distress. It will not, of course, be the same with you all, nor perhaps with any two of you, but according to the work allotted you, will be your preparation. You must go into the fire if you are to pull others out of it, and you will have to dive into the floods if you are to draw others out of the water. You cannot work a fire-escape without feeling the scorch of the conflagration, nor man a lifeboat without being covered with the waves.

The citizens in Matthew 8 valued their economy over the salvation of two demon-possessed men, and while this is understandable, it is also sad. There may come a time, if it has not already happened, when you will experience a similar loss or tragedy that may feel irredeemable, as you watch your hopes and dreams drowning in the metaphorical lake. But our God is a redeeming God, and if you will submit your sorrow to Him, He may just use your experience to save others. And when He does, I pray that you will be able to praise Him for His ability to use every earthly tragedy for His glory and your good.