What will you gain?
Mark 8:34-38
The story is told of a rich farmer, his fields were particularly fruitful, so much so that there was not enough room to store everything. He tore down the barns and built new and bigger ones. After the new barns were built, he felt like he could sit back and relax, take life easy, eat drink and be merry.
But the story goes on as Jesus tells it. God said to him, you fool!
This night your soul will be required of you. This is how it is for anyone who stores up things for of the rich fool himself but is not rich toward God. This story Jesus told is found in Luke 13:13-21.
There are two sharply contrasting philosophies of life. One philosophy of life is seen in the rich fool story. It is about going for what the world offers. The other philosophy of life is about going for what Christ offers. Our passage contrasts these two philosophies.
And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 37 For what can a man give in return for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” (Mark 8:34-38)
After Peter makes the great confession that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God then Jesus predicts his own death. Following this Peter took Jesus aside to rebuke him. Then because of this Jesus rebukes Peter.
But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” (Mark 8:33)
Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of the Living God, but he was not going to Jerusalem to reign as Messiah. Jesus was going to Jerusalem to die on a cross. He was going to Jerusalem to face an execution style death normally reserved for criminals. With this prediction of his death Jesus gathers the crowd to him with his disciples.
And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. (Mark 8:34)
He is speaking about the cost of discipleship. Jesus makes a heavy demand and tells his followers to die to self. If people are going to “accept Jesus as savior” they need to know that new life in Christ means death to old self.
It is difficult. Not that it is difficult to understand. It is difficult to do. Compare it to running a marathon. The hard part is not understanding you must run the long distance. The hard part is doing it.
When you share the gospel with someone, and you ask them if what you share makes sense. If their reply is yes, I understand, but I am not ready to make that commitment, then they are taking in the cost of discipleship. They get what dying to self would require. They understand what Jesus said, take up your cross and follow me. They understand the high cost. They understand the absolute commitment.
But it is the most important step of all. It is a contrast of gaining what the world has to offer verses gaining spiritual life.
What can be gained without Christ?
You can gain pursue fame with no restraint without Christ. It is possible to make a name for yourself. It is not guaranteed, but it is possible. You could build a name on earth that would be remembered long after you are gone. There are many pursuits that we remember the name, political leaders, sports heroes, astronauts, scientist, and musicians.
Without Christ you can focus on yourself and your own reputation. Jesus bids you to die to self and forsake self. Without Christ you can promote yourself and seek fame.
In following the worlds system, you can seek wealth as your absolute priority. When you follow Christ and put others needs before your own this can hinder seeking wealth. The Rich young ruler walked away from following Christ because it interfered with his accumulated wealth. The world offers golden handcuffs to stay in the system.
The world system offers worldly pleasures. There is a world’s system of seeking sinful indulgence. Without Christ you gain pursuits of fame, fortune and pleasure. Many of those who seek these are the most miserable of all.
Those who follow the worlds system for pleasure often get destroyed by sexually transmitted disease. The ironic thing is that those who follow Christ and who are fulfilled in the context of marriage have more pleasure on earth than the worldly.
What some advertisers can make look glamourous, in reality is an empty option. There is not much if anything gained at all in following the world’s system. The devil comes to steal, kill and destroy and would have you think you will gain from the world’s system.
If you really gain fame, pleasure and riches it is fair to mention what you lose when you choose what the world offers. You lose your soul. You would hear, you fool, this night your soul was required of you.
Without Christ you will forfeit your soul, be cast into the lake of fire, endure the tortures of hell, where the gnashing of teeth gash for eternity.
For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? (Mark 8:36)
What is gained in Christ?
In Christ you gain salvation and all the true riches that come to anyone who gives their life over to Christ. A mansion in heaven with streets of gold are gained. A time with no more suffering and a glorified body is gained. In Christ you are gaining the greatest glory of all to be around the throne of Jesus in all his heavenly glory.
What you gain in Christ is more then future riches of heaven, but the deep sense of peace on this earth. There is a moving story about how a believer in Christ faced death with a peace. The Christian life is joyful. The Christian life is abundance. We gain all this in Christ.
Put these alternatives on the scale. On one side is all that the world has to offer. On the other is all the riches in Christ. Gaining the whole world would not outweigh your soul. It would not be worth all the riches of the world in exchange for your soul.
During the goldrush Sandy McIntyre found a mine. He sold it for $25 to buy some liquor. He got some alcohol to get drunk. The mine produced gold worth 250 million dollars. It is far more tragic to exchange your soul for what the world offers.
I visited a place called “the Crossroads” where highway 61 ("The Blues Highway") and Highway 49 intersect at Clarksdale, Mississippi. It is the location where Robert Johnson supposedly sold his soul to the Devil in return to become a famous blues artist.
There is a granite sign placed there at Abe’s BBQ that says, You are at the legendary crossroads Highway 49 and 61. Abes BBQ since 1924. Where legend has it Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil so he could play a hell of a blues guitar and Abe Davis was across the street surrendering his soul to Jesus.
It is a sad tale for Robert Johnson. He was with another man’s wife and the jealous husband gave him poison liquor and killed him in revenge. Abe made the right choice. Surrendering to the Lord Jesus.
Dying to self and turning from sin, in repentance, and trusting Christ means eternal life and heavenly riches. “Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were a present far too small. Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul. My life my all.” (Isaac Watts, When I Survey the Wonderous Cross)
An atheist can say, if I really believed what you Christians say is true I would crawl on broken glass to get the good news out. That would be a small price for the cost of a soul.
You will never profit by gaining what the world gives. It is a poor bargain what the world offers and losing your soul. Choose to follow Christ. It is costly to follow Christ. But consider the cost of rejecting Christ.
He is no fool to give up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.
For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? (Mark 8: 36)
