Gaining the World and Losing - Luke 9:25

The beloved physician Luke wrote how Jesus told His disciples, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it”, and in chapter nine and verse twenty-five of his book Luke shared how Jesus asked His disciples, “what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself?” where we read:

For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?

The verse reads, “For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, ...” Luke began with the words, “for what is a man advantaged” or “because, even and indeed what profit or useful assistance does a person have”, “if he gain” which means “whether that person whether male or female acquire and win” “the whole world” or “the complete and entire aggregate of all things earthly”. Luke shared how Jesus asked what it profited a person if they “acquired” the entire “aggregate of earthly things” but lost the following.

The verse continues, “... and lose himself, or be cast away?” Luke added the words, “and lose himself” which means “and renders useless, destroys, abolishes and ruins His own self”, “and be cast away” or “and is affected with damage, receives injury and suffers loss”? Luke shared how Jesus added the idea of a person “losing” themselves and “suffering loss” after gaining the “whole world”.

When we meditate upon Luke's words in this verse, we see how Jesus questioned His disciples according to the “value” of the “world assets” compared to a person's own “soul”. Everything material in the world is temporary, and the “soul” is “eternal”. Even if a person gained everything the world has to offer and they became the owner of every possession, at best they would only last for a few temporary years. Jesus knew the “soul” of a person is “eternal”, and because He desires to have an “everlasting” relationship with people, God sent His Son Jesus to be their “Savior and Lord”. Those who are wise will never trade the “temporary” valuables for their own “soul” since their “life” is priceless compared to all the assets in the world.

Next time Luke shares how Jesus told His disciples what would happen when, “whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words”, 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".