There once was a man named George Thomas, a pastor in a small New England
town. One Sunday Easter Morning he came to the Church caring a rusty,
bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit. Several eyebrows were
raised in response, when Pastor Thomas began to speak. "I was walking
through town yesterday when I saw a young boy coming toward me swinging
this bird cage. On the bottom of the bird cage were three wild birds,
shivering with cold and fright. I stopped the lad and asked, "What you
got there son?" "Just some old birds," came the reply. "What are you
gonna do with them," I asked? "Take 'em home and have some fun with
"em. I'm gonna have a real good time," he answered. Pastor Thomas raised
an eyebrow and calmly said, "But you'll get tired of those birds sooner or
later. What will you do then?"

"Oh, I got come cats, they like birds. I'll take "em to them," the boy
gloated. The pastor was silent for a moment. "How much do you want for
those birds son? " "Huh???!!!! Why, you don't want them birds, mister.
They're just plain old field birds. They don't sing....they ain't even
pretty!" "How much," the pastor asked again? The boy sized up the
pastor as if he were crazy and said, "$10.00 ?" The pastor reached in
his pocket and took out a ten dollar bill, and placed it in the boy's
hand. In a flash the boy was gone. The pastor picked up the cage and
gently carried it to the end of the alley where there was a tree and a
grassy spot. Setting the cage down, he opened the door, and by softly
tapping the bars persuaded the birds out, setting them free.
Well, that explained the empty bird cage on the pulpit, and then the
pastor began to tell his story:

One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan had just come
from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting..."Yes sir, I
just caught the world full of people down there. Set me a trap, used bait
I knew they could not resist. Got 'em all!! "What are you going to do
with them" Jesus asked? Satan replied, ..."Oh, I'm gonna have fun! I'm
gonna teach them how to marry and divorce each other, how to hate and
abuse each other, how to drink and drive, and curse. I'm gonna teach them
how to invent guns and bombs, and kill each other. I'm really gonna have
some fun!!" " And what will you do when you get done with them, "Jesus
asked? "Oh, I'll kill 'em," Satan glared proudly! "How much do you want
for them," Jesus asked? " OH Jesus, you don't want those people. They
ain't no good! You'll take them and they will just hate you! They will
spit on you! And they will kill you!!! You DO NOT want those
people!!!...." "How much," Jesus ask again? Satan looked at Jesus and
sneered, ..."ALL YOUR TEARS, AND ALL YOUR BLOOD! "Jesus said, "DONE!!!"

Then He paid the price.


The pastor picked up the cage, he opened the door, and he walked from the
pulpit.

John 3:16