Matthew the apostle wrote how Jesus, “ began ... to show unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from you, Lord: this shall not be unto you. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: you are an offense unto me: for you savor not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it”, and in chapter sixteen and verse twenty-six of his book, Matthew shares how Jesus asked, “what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” where we read:
For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
The verse reads, “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”. Matthew began with the word, “for” or “because, since and on account that” “what is a man profited” or “what assistance, usefulness or advantage does a person whether male or female have”, “if he shall gain” which means “whether that person will acquire and win” “the whole world” which means “completely all the circle of the earthly goods, endowments, riches, advantages and pleasures”, “and lose” or “and damage, injure and suffer loss to” “his own soul” which refers to “the person's own seat of the feelings, desires, affections and aversions”? Matthew shared how Jesus asked what real “advantage” a person has who acquires everything the world has to offer but “suffers the loss” of his own “soul”?
The verse continues, “or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Matthew added the words, “or what shall a man” which means “or what of everything that exists will a person whether male or female” “give” or “grant, supply, furnish and deliver” “in exchange” or “in place of or as an equivalent or ransom” “for his soul” which means “the person's own seat of the feelings, desires, affections and aversions”? Matthew shared how Jesus asked his disciples what a person would “trade or take as ransom” for their own “seat of the feelings, desires, affections and aversions”.
When we consider Matthew's words in this verse, we see Jesus present two questions to His disciples. Both of them demonstrated the value of a person's “soul”, and each of them inquired as to what was so valuable in the world that a person's “soul” should be “sold” or “traded” for it? Nothing on earth is as precious as a person's soul because the earth only offers “temporary” things. The “eternal” and “everlasting” offer from God is to be in a relationship with Him through His Son Jesus, and it insures that a person will live with God forever. To forfeit that for anything temporary would be foolish indeed.
Next time Matthew shares how Jesus declares, “the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
“Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the
marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the
Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
No comments:
Post a Comment