Profit and Loss
J.A. Macdonald Matthew 16:25-28 For whoever will save his life shall lose it: and whoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. As the time of the brief ministry of Jesus drew to its close, he began to show his disciples how he must go to Jerusalem and suffer and be killed, and rise again the third day. The sombre part of this anticipation was a terrible shock to the strong Jewish prejudices of Peter; and he lost sight of the glorious element of the resurrection. So is prejudice blind evermore. He had. the presumption to take Jesus to task, and stoutly protested against any such issue. For this temerity Peter merited a terrible rebuke from Christ, who, after administering it, insisted upon self-denial and cross lifting as essential to his discipleship. Then he proceeded to reason and expostulate in the words of the text. I. WHAT IS THE GAIN? THE WORLD. 1. Not the empire of the universe. (1) "The whole world," in the largest sense, includes not only this globe, but the sun, the planets, and the moons of this solar system; and, moreover, all the firmaments of such systems within the searching power of telescopes and beyond into immensity. (2) The proprietorship of the world in this large sense belongs to God alone. Such a sceptre could be wielded only by the Infnite. 2. Not the empire of this earth. (1) Alexander the Great is said to have "conquered the world," and then to have "wept because he had not another world to conquer." Yet was that empire of Alexander but a small portion of the globe after all. And instead of conquering the other world of his own mind, his evil passions conquered him. (2) The Romans were said to be "masters of the world," but there were barbarians beyond they could never subdue. There were vast continents they never knew. (3) The British empire is the most extensive that the sun has seen. Yet are we far from possessing the monopoly of the globe. Universal empire, in this sense, is still reserved for the proper Man. 3. All the pleasures of the worldling. (1) In his enjoyment of all natural endowments. Health of body; symmetry of proportions; vigour of mind; hilarity of spirits. (2) All accidental advantages. The inheritance of wealth, of title, of position. (3) All opportunities of animal indulgence. Luxuries of the table - choice wines, rare fruits - all in profusion. Every conceivable gratification for the appetite and passion. (4) All opportunities for intellectual gratification. A taste cultivated to appreciate the finest poetry, the most exquisite music, the noblest eloquence, consummate painting and sculpture, and refinements of art, together with all these things. 4. But hold, the colouring is too high! (1) Who can have all this with religion? Can it be all indulged if the claims of religion are respected? (2) But who can have all this without religion? For are there not punitive sequences bound up with indulgence? (a) Health will not abide it. (b) Capacity is limited, and to surcharge is to produce revulsion and disgust. (c) Conscience will have its reckoning. (d) Fear will intrude with thoughts of the coming of the "Son of man in the glory of his Father with his angels" to "reward to every man according to his deeds." It will bring alarmingly near the judgment in the doom of death. II. WHAT IS THE LOSS? THE SOUL. 1. Its greatness is seen in its achievements. (1) Those of the astronomer. The calculation of the Nautical Almanac. The discovery of the planet Neptune. Light thrown upon chronology. (2) Those of the chemist and electrician. (3) Those of the engineers (4) What a loss when such great rowers are prostituted, wasted, blighted, damned! 2. It is evident in its capability of God. (1) Powers to contemplate his being and attributes; his government and his claims. (2) Enjoying his friendship. Reciprocating his love. Working out his purposes. (3) Hoping in his promises of heaven. (4) But all this capability is capability also of suffering. Awful to the sinner is the very justice of his judgment. Thoughts of the being and attributes of an infinite Enemy. How terrible are the fires of his wrath! 3. It is seen in God's estimate. (1) He framed the creation for man (see Psalm 8.). (2) He gave himself for man. Became incarnate in our nature. In that nature suffered and died for us. (3) Carried our nature into heaven. There it is exalted above all principality. (4) In it he will come forth "in the glory of his Father with his angels." (5) The distance between heaven's rapturous height and hell's horrible depth is the measure of God's estimate of man. III. WHAT IS THE PROFIT? 1. For what do you barter your soul? (1) "All that is in the world" is soon summed up. "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the vain glory of life, is not of the Father" (1 John 2:16). (2) But what have we here? (a) Sensuality. Wine. Women. (b) Covetousness. Gain by meanness. Gain by trend. Gain by oppression. (c) Ambition. The esteem of the deceived. Or the esteem of the vain. What does it profit? 2. What is the profit when life is spent? (1) What would a damned soul give for the opportunity to retrace his steps? (2) But life is spent before a man is dead. What does the world profit when a man outlives its pleasures - when his energy is spent? 3. What must we sacrifice for the soul? (1) Not the world, in its use. (2) We must sacrifice the world in its abuse. All sin must go. (3) Life must be sacrificed if necessary. But then "to die is gain." - J.A.M. Parallel Verses KJV: For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. WEB: For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever will lose his life for my sake will find it.