Jesus had the uncanny ability to cut to the core of truth
with a simple, short statement. Those brief sayings seem really obvious at
first glance, but upon reflection become deep and either soberingly frightful
or incredibly hopeful. Jesus made such a statement while trying to help his
disciples understand what the end of his life was going to be like. Jesus said,
“And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul in
the process?” (Mark 8:36, New Living
Translation) There are two parts of us that are alive, our physical bodies
and our souls. Jesus is saying that there are things we can chase in our life
that won’t harm our physical bodies, but will cause our souls to begin to fade
and wither. There are decisions I can make that will make me less sensitive to
beauty. There are pursuits in life that will cause me to hunger less for
justice. I can live life in such a way that I forget about the people around me
who are in pain. It’s possible to be fully alive on the outside and empty and
dead on the inside. Jesus was telling his disciples that avoiding his upcoming
death at the hands on unjust men would keep him alive physically, but it would
cause him somehow to die inside, and that wasn’t a trade he was willing to
make.
His statement created a lot of questions for me, maybe they are questions that will help you on your journey as well:
Are there things that I watch with my eyes that make me less aware of
true beauty when it comes along?
Does the pace of my life make it hard for me to be
heartbroken for those who are suffering around me?
Am I more focused on my physical life than the life of my
soul?
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