Jump Start # 3978
Matthew 16:26 “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
Here it is the day after Christmas. While some families have more get togethers still, for most, the presents have been opened, the feast eaten and the memories shared. This day is busy for the retail world. Many will be hitting the stores today. Some are looking for after Christmas bargains. Some will be using the gift cards they received as presents. Many will be returning items back to the store. The wrong size of clothes was purchased or worse, someone just doesn’t like what they received. They will exchange the unwanted for something that they do want.
Exchange is a basic component of marketing and commerce. The stock market is referred to as the “Stock Exchange.” It is there that money is traded or exchanged for stock values in companies. We work hard at our jobs to earn money. With that money we trade, or properly call it, purchase or buy, the things we need and want in life. An exchange takes place.
Our Lord in our verse today uses the word “exchange.” What will a man give in exchange for his soul? Great question. A question that opens our eyes to the reality of sin and the consequences.
There are some things that we cannot exchange:
First, we cannot trade for more time. I cannot give someone a few dollars to buy myself a few more hours in a day. Many a day, I wish I could. Use your time wisely or waste time, there is no way to exchange for more than what a day allots us. There is no way to exchange for more time here once our divine appointment with the Lord is called. Hebrews tells us that it is appointed unto man to die once. God holds that appointment for us. The rich man in Luke 16 would have loved to give his fortune away if you could have one more day to make things right. One cannot do that. As easy as it is to waste an hour, some waste a lifetime, busily doing nothing that really matters.
Second, we cannot trade for another person’s character. Some walk through this life with noble grace and kindness. Some seem to grasp what it means to be a disciple. Others stumble along, in and out of right and wrong and never set on the path of righteousness. We see the golden character of shepherds in the congregation and often wish we could have their hearts. You can grow to be like that, but there is no exchange. You cannot borrow kindness from someone else. You can learn to forgive as you see others forgive, but that is something that you must choose.
This would also include the fact that we cannot exchange or borrow the salvation of someone else. Just sitting in a church pew on Sunday doesn’t mean my heart, attitude and character are where they ought to be. I can sit beside one of the godly pillars in the congregation, but that doesn’t mean it will transfer to me. Two people sitting right beside each other, one may be saved and the other in need of salvation. Paul wished that he could be lost if that meant his kinsmen would be saved (Romans 9). But, that can’t happen. You cannot exchange the salvation of one to another. The righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself the prophet declared in Ezekiel 18.
But, one thing that we can change or exchange is being a better disciple in Christ. Through the letters of Paul we read about being transformed and putting on the new self. We are a new creation or creature the Corinthians were told. I don’t have to stay the way I am. When someone declares, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” my thought is, “you are not a dog.” You are made in the image of God. When someone says, “That’s just the way I am,” that’s not good enough. You can do better. You don’t have to be like the way you were raised. You don’t have to be like those around you. You can be thoughtful, generous and loving. You can be the first to forgive. You can be so busy in the kingdom of God that layers of goodness come from you.
An old grump can become a kind and thankful person through Jesus. A tightwad can become generous through Jesus. A negative complainer can be upbeat and positive through Jesus. A selfish person can become a selfless person through Jesus. An arrogant person can become humble through Jesus. A sinner can become a saint through Jesus.
Oh, the great changes that can take place when we spend time with our Lord. An exchange takes place. The old way is put off. A new, better and brighter way becomes our choice. Biblically we call this “conversion.” And, all conversion involves is an exchange. A trading of one way for another way.
On a day when many will be making exchanges, things about this spiritually. It might help you.
Roger