What’s Missing?

The richest man in 2025 is Elon Musk - his fortune is estimated at $442B (9 zeros).

In order to spend all this money you would have to spend $40M every day for the next 30 years.

If there is anything that Elon Musk wants, he can simply spend the money for it.

He does not ever have to worry about money.

He can buy any piece of real estate, any car, he can likely buy an entire country.

There is probably nothing we could get Elon Musk for Christmas.

We meet one such person in the Bible.

We meet a very wealthy woman in the Bible - her name is Lydia.

She was definitely not the wealthiest woman in the Bible but we are introduced to her in Acts 16.

Hechos de los Apóstoles 16:14 NIV

14 One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.

She sold purple cloth.

Now you may say - how can someone that sells purple cloth be so wealthy?

It turns out that in order to dye cloth to be a deep dark purple you need to find a special sea snail that’s found in the Mediterranean Sea.

It turns out that in the ancient world you would have to find at least 250,000 snails to get about 1 tablespoon of purple dye.

Royalty in the ancient world loved to show off their riches by buying expensive clothes dyed in this rich purple color.

So the Lydia that Luke presents in Acts sells this type of cloth.

We can imagine her selling to the rich and famous in the Roman Empire from her home base in the town of Phillipi.

Her income would allow her to live a comfortable life so that she would not have to worry about money ever again.

I am sure her family lived a very comfortable life.

…and yet…there’s something very interesting that Luke mentions about Lydia.

The Bible says she was a worshipper of God.

This is a term used in the New Testament to refer to non-jews who worshipped alongside the jews but had not formally converted to judaism.

This is a very interesting detail because although she lives a comfortable life, she can afford to live a good life, there is something missing in her life which money has been unable to buy.

There are money things she can purchase / acquire, but she finds her self seeking after the God of the jews.

Somehow her purple cloth business, her income, her large home, her prosperous family, are not enough to satisfy what is missing in her life.

So what was missing in Lydia’s life?

It is possible that Lydia could not name that which was missing in her life.

However, when Paul and Silas came to town preaching the good news about Jesus - how Jesus had been sent from God to live a perfect life and to give his life as a sacrifice for our sin, all of a sudden she understood that which was missing in her life.

Jesus!

Jesus was the answer.

When she heard the message about Jesus, the Bible says that God opened her heart so that she was able to respond to the message about Jesus.

All of a sudden she was born again, she was made a new creation, she was made a child of God.

…and from then on, Lydia could loose her business, she could loose her fortune, or even her home, but that did not matter because she had finally found that which was missing all along - her savior Jesus Christ.

Now that she had encountered the living and resurrected Messiah - she knew that she had everything she needed for this life and eternity.

…aren’t you glad that you have found Jesus? Aren’t you thankful to God that he has given you the privilege of knowing Jesus.

There are many that do not know him…and yet God in his mercy and grace has opened your heart to believe that Jesus is your savior.

Let’s pray: Our Father, we are so greatful that you have also opened our hearts to believe in Jesus. This is entirely due to your rich mercy and grace. There are many that still do not know you - they seek comfort in money, in fame, in material things and are never satisfied - and yet we know that they will not find any rest until they find you. We pray that you will open their hearts just as you opened ours - so that they may believe in your son - Jesus Christ, the savior of all who believe. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.