Your Soul More Valuable than the World - Mark 8:36

Mark wrote when Jesus, “had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever 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; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it”, and in chapter eight and verse thirty-six of his book, Mark shared how Jesus said, “what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” where we read:

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

The verse reads, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, ...” Mark began with Jesus' question, “For what shall it profit” which means “because, since and on account what assistance, usefulness and advantage is found within” “a man” or “a person whether male or female”, “if he shall gain” which means “whether that person whether male or female acquires and wins” “the whole world” or “the entire, all and the complete earth, universe and the aggregate of all things that may be obtained including the earthly goods, endowments, riches, advantages and pleasures”. Mark shared how Jesus questioned what “advantage and usefulness” does the person have who “obtains” everything in the “world” that may be acquired.

The verse goes on to say, “... and lose his own soul?” Mark continued with the words, “and lose” which means “and affects with damage, receives injury and suffers loss within” “his own soul” or “that person whether male or female's very own seat of the feelings, desires, affections and aversions”? Mark shared how Jesus continued His question by comparing the “loss” of a person's own “spiritual” self to that of “gaining” everything within the “whole world”.

When we meditate upon Mark's words in this verse, we see how Jesus implied the value of all the assets in the entire “world” are not worth the “soul” of a person. Things in the world are “temporary” in nature as not only will they eventually “perish”, (But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up”. See 2 Peter 3:10), but the person themselves will “perish” as well. Everything a person “obtains” in their lifetime will be left behind when they die, but their “soul” shall live forever. God desires to “save” people from their “sins” so their “souls” may live eternally with Him, and for this to occur, they must yield their lives to His Son Jesus as their personal “Savior and Lord”. Those who think this through will understand there is nothing more valuable than their “soul”, and they should submit themselves to Jesus rather than yielding to the perishable things of the world.

Next time Mark shares how Jesus asks, “what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”, 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. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".