For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and for the gospel will save it. What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Mark 8:35-36
“In developing the thought of the supreme value of life in its deepest sense, Jesus employed language drawn from commercial life: profit, gain, loss, give in exchange. A comparison of values is the proper setting for a consideration of profit and loss. Corresponding to the advantage gained — the whole world — is the payment which must be forfeited — authentic life. But the ledger involves values which cannot really be compared. The loss even of ordinary human life is in no way compensated by winning the world; how much more is this true of eternal life.”
William L. Lane in The Gospel According to Mark (NICNT; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974) 309.
Today our exploration of “gain” takes us to a famous saying of Jesus. As Lane notes, Jesus uses the language of everyday business and exchange to describe the priceless value of the life Christ offers. In short, this abundant life exceeds everything the world offers, but one must abandon the latter to grasp the former.
How does this use of “gain” relate to generosity? If we pursue all the world offers with the aim of using the earthly gain for good, we miss the mark altogether. We may think we are doing good things, but all our “righteous acts” are meaningless to God; they are like “filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6).
Jesus flatly states that such people will miss the kingdom. Though in the last day they will remind Him of all the things they did in His name, they will be sent away. He will say, “I never knew you” (cf. Matthew 7:21-23). Only those who know Christ and abandon all the world offers, will end up living (and giving) abundantly.
Today Jenni and I teach on the Parable of the Watchful Workers (Mark 13:32-37) in our lesson entitled, “The Task Every Family Must Undertake.” Having taken hold of abundant life, watchful workers live in a state of readiness for Christ’s return, avoid the temptations of the world, and do the work God made them to do.
We are at Black Rock Retreat near Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Amish Country (pictured above)! Of course, the Amish have a reputation for their work. What about you? Have you lost yourself for Christ’s sake? Are you ready for His return? Do you avoid the temptations of the world? Are you a watchful worker?