A King’s Ransom

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” [Galatians 5:1]

In A.D. 1532, Francisco Pizarro, with around 160 men, entered the heart of the Inca Empire in search of gold. The Conquistadors eventually found their way into the presence of the young Inca king, Atahuallpa. That’s when a Spanish friar, traveling with Pizarro, told the Inca monarch his people must renounce their gods. When Atahuallpa asked them upon what authority they were making this demand, the Catholic friar handed him a Bible. Atahuallpa held the book next to his ear, trying to listen to its pages. At last he asked: “Why doesn’t the book say anything to me?” And he threw it violently to the ground.

The Spanish used this insult as an excuse to attack and massacre the crowds of unarmed people, and the handsome king was arrested. It is, indeed, astonishing to think how a small army like Pizarro’s, with only 62 horsemen and 102 infantry, were able to attack an empire of at least five million people. But they had the latest technology in deadly weapons – guns and mechanical crossbows and horses – that terrified the natives.

King Atahuallpa, now understanding that the Spanish wanted gold, came up with his plan to free himself. He told Pizarro he would give, for his release, enough gold and silver vessels to fill three large rooms. The Spaniards thought this was impossible, but the gold-hungry Pizarro agreed. So Atahuallpa decreed that his realm be ransacked to fill one room 18-by-22-feet with gold stacked to a height of a little more than eight feet. In addition, two equal-sized rooms would be filled with silver! By July of 1533, more than 24 tons of exquisite treasure had been collected, worth at least 267 million dollars at today’s values. The Spaniards did not honor their promise. They kept Atahuallpa imprisoned for another year, using him to control the Inca Empire, and then killed him.

How sad that the largest ransom ever paid for a man’s freedom was in vain! Sadder still, there are millions of people who have had a king’s ransom paid for their freedom and they choose to remain in prison! It doesn’t have to be this way. Jesus is waiting to release us from the prison of sin. “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:36). Will you accept this freedom today?