What can a man give in return for his soul?

For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

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There was a popular saying in the 1980s that affirmed: "He who dies with the most toys wins." It is the opposite of what Jesus is saying in these verses. It reminds me of something else that our Lord said about the importance of living a life focused on heavenly matters:

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal."

The preoccupation with possessions is a dangerous one because of the way that things take hold of us. Many have sacrificed themselves on the altar of hedonism. In reality things can make you happy for a season but in the end things break, wear down or are lost.

Interesting how Jesus correlates this idea with being ashamed of him and his teachings. It is a sobering thought to consider that when we embrace and exalt wealth and possessions we are ashamedly rejecting Christ's teaching about truth wealth and eternal life.

Help me to proclaim you and your teachings today Lord in the way that I live.