Mark 8:36–What's The Real Profit?

Mark 8:36–"For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?"

This is a great and probing question.  It lays out the reality of life in that direct, unambiguous way that only Jesus could.  The true issue of life, the heart of the matter, so to speak, is all about perspective and priorities.  Proper perspective, accurate priorities–this is the very essence of life.  But how to measure these things?  By what scale can we assess the real value of our lives, our decisions?

That is what this verse is about.  In reality, it is substance for all Christianity: what really matters?

The answer, while obvious to state as a theological proposition, is quite a difficult thing to base our lives around.  Any Christian worth his/her salvation can say that Jesus is everything.  Any Christian who has made a confession of faith wouldn't think twice about the question Jesus asks.  But do we live that way?  Do we really live our lives as if Jesus is the most important thing in all existence?

Perhaps we (and by "we" I mean "I") need to really think and pray about this question and its consequences a little more...

Mark 10:43-45–Whoever Would Be Great Must Be A Servant

Mark 10:43-45–"But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many."

This is one of the passages of Scripture in which Jesus Himself defines the radical nature of the Kingdom of God and how it is so very different from the kingdoms of the world.  While the world is built upon self-exaltations, prideful boastings, and delusions of grandeur, the greatest in the Kingdom of God are those who would be the least by serving others the most.

To be sure, this is lovely theology, a desirable sentiment.  However, actualizing this theology, making it a real and present part of our lives and identity is something else altogether.  But this is precisely the sort of life style and attitude that Jesus is asking of His people.  We should strive, then, to be servants truly in every role we can in our lives.  In so doing we will be faithful to the life that God has for us in His Son.

Mark 9:35–First is Last, Leader is Servant

Mark 9:35–"And He sat down and called the twelve.  And He said to them, 'If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.'"

This text has come to represent the very essence of service and leadership in Christianity.  In this simple but direct statement, Jesus is indicating that the sort of leadership in His Church will be significantly different than how leadership is done in the world.  There would seem to be a priority placed on the humility of the leaders of the Church.  In other words, the most important thing is not how well or effectively a leader leads; it is the leader's humility and willingness to serve.  In other words, humility should be the determining feature of a Christian leader, nothing else.

We would do well to make this the very meaning and measure of leadership in our own life.

The Widow Who Gave Abundantly Out of Her Poverty

Mark 12:41-44–"And He sat down opposite the treasury and watched people putting money into the offering box.  Many rich people put in large sums.  And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny.  And He called His disciples and said to them, 'Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put more than all those who are contributing to the offering box.  For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.'"

This is a fascinating and sharp observation that Jesus makes.  Sitting in the temple, watching the people worshiping and offering their sacrifices to God, and He sees this one particular woman.  As you read the chapter, this episode comes at the end of a series of teachings in which Jesus is attempting to define in no ambiguity the nature of the Kingdom of God, in particular what kind of worshiper this Kingdom demands.  He has just finished warning people,"Beware of the Scribes," because they do their acts of religion only to be seen and praised by men.

It is at this point that Jesus notices this one woman, this poor widow.  Jesus watches her as she casts two small coins into the offering box and He remarks with the most interesting comment.  Jesus says that this gift, be it small in the eyes of the world, is lavish in God's eyes.  Although it could be said that it was the immense personal cost that made this such a substantial gift to Jesus, I submit that it was something more: it was what the personal value of the gift symbolized.

To be quite sure, the gift was precious to the widow monetarily, amounting to all she had; however, the true value of the gift resided much deeper.  The gift served to symbolize at least two profound things: (1) she was willing to give up everything for her love of God, and (2) because of the cost of the gift, she knew she would have to rely on God to sustain her.

Our prayer should be to take this widow's part in the Gospel to heart, recognizing that this is the kind of devotion that God is asking from each one of us.  O that we would be willing and eager to love Him like this!

What Does It Profit to Lose One's Soul?

Mark 8:36: "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?"

A good deal of life is about weighing one thing against another.  Whether it is as insignificant as what to eat for dinner or as important as where to live, our lives are inundating with weighing choices and making decisions that have ramifications that ripple through our lives like dropping rocks in water.  And while many of these decisions do have value, they all pale in comparison to the concerns of eternity.

This is what this verse is all about.  The anteverse deals with the denial of self and the daily taking up of a cross, but the hit comes in this question: for what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?

The answer to the question is that nothing is worth forfeiting your soul.  There is not a treasure that could possible be worth yielding one's soul for all eternity.  We would be wise to remember this in every situation.  In the end, only eternity matters.