Trading Places

In the 1983 movie Trading Places, the owners of the Duke and Duke Brokerage Company, to settle a wager, connive to get Louis Winthrope and Billy Ray Valentine to change lives. Winthrope, a very successful commodities broker, is fired and thrown out of his house. Meanwhile, Valentine, a street hustler, is hired to replace Winthrope.

The wager, whether genetics or the environment makes the man, is settled. Valentine by sure luck, learns of the plot. He realizes his good fortune is not of his own doing.

He finds Winthrope in the street and the two of them take their revenge on the brokerage firm. Valentine and Winthrope simultaneously bankrupt the Duke brothers and become very rich. The movie ends with Valentine and Winthrope on a beautiful tropical beach.

Today’s reading is John 1:9-17.

These verses announce the incarnation of our Lord. The word became flesh.

Jesus was living in Heaven with his father. He must have had an awesome life. No worries, no troubles. Angels, cherubs and seraphs tending to his every need.

Yet, because his father told him to, Jesus came to earth.

He had no attendants. Jesus had to work for his food. He had to tolerate physical and emotional pain. He had to deal with friends who turned their backs on him. He had to deal with enemies that wanted him dead. And he even had to deal with a “mole” who infiltrated his close social network.

In short, Jesus had to "slum it".

In a sense, Jesus was a lot like Winthrope, except that Jesus willingly traded places!

We are a lot like Valentine. We live in a sin-stained world and our spiritual lives are poor indeed.

Because of Jesus’ sojourn, where he placed our sin on him, we will eventually be like Jesus. We will be resurrected and glorified; We will live forever.

Trading Places ended with Winthrope and Valentine on a tropical beach. Our eternity will be even better than that.

We will spend it in Heaven together with Jesus. Like Valentine our (future) fortune is not of our own doing.

 All because Jesus traded places with us.