“Profit and Loss”
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit. Amen. The two most valuable things I learned in high school, the things which
have been the most practical use throughout my life, were both in the business
department. One was touch typing. I think I took Typing I and Typing
II. We learned on IBM Selectrics and also got a few weeks experience on
manual typewriters. I figured I’d use my typing skills preparing papers in
college, and after that probably not type too much for the rest of my life.
But, then personal computers came along, and email, and I became a pastor,
constantly writing sermons and other materials. So, it turned out to be a
huge timesaver and blessing that thanks to high school I’m a good typist. The other very valuable life skill I learned in the high school
business department was double entry bookkeeping, how to reconcile credits and
debits, income and expenses, profit and loss. “For what will it profit a
man,” Jesus asks, “if he gains the whole world, yet loses his own soul?”
As you live out your daily life, Jesus says, don’t lose sight of the eternal
consequences, don’t forget to take into account the eternal “Profit and Loss.” Jane Goddall, the famous zoologist, who lived for years among gorillas
and chimpanzees, found that they are attracted to, fixate on, and like to
collect shiny objects, like bottle caps, coins, costume jewelry. The
behavior of these primitive animals seems so quaint. But, in his book with
the title “Shiny Objects,” behavioral psychologist James Roberts shows how we
humans have the same trait. Except that the shiny objects we are attracted
to, fixate on, and like to collect are a lot bigger and more expensive.
Instead of bottle caps, we collect cars, houses, boats; instead of coins, we
collect salaries and bank accounts; instead of costume jewelry, we collect the
real thing, and all sorts of other trinkets, from iPads to big screen TV’s.
The list of shiny objects that we humans fixate on is endless—and growing. “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet loses
his own soul?” This human folly, of gaining the whole world at the cost of
losing our souls, goes back to the Garden of Eden, [as illustrated in our
Creation window]. Genesis reports, “When the woman saw that the fruit of
the tree was good for food, and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for
gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her
husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” Adam and Eve were led astray by the shiny object of the forbidden
fruit. In the credit column, they had gained a taste of the forbidden
fruit. But, in the debit column, the resulting loss for all of humanity
was catastrophic. Paul puts it this way in Romans: “Sin entered the world
through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men,
because all sinned . . . the result of one trespass was condemnation for
all men. . . through the disobedience of the one man the many were made
sinners.” Satan still uses this same ploy, which worked so well with our first
parents, and remains very effective with us today. Satan is seeking to
lead you astray with all the shiny objects of this world. What St. Paul
tells Timothy about money also applies to all other kinds of shiny objects: “For
the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for
money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” The shiny object of financial gain leads people to wander from the way
of honesty, and pierce themselves with many griefs. The shiny object of
temporary euphoria leads people to wander from the way of sobriety, and with
alcohol and drugs to pierce themselves with many griefs. The shiny object
of sexual pleasure leads people to wander from the way of chastity, or their
spouse, and pierce themselves and their families with many griefs. Beware of shiny objects! “Watch out!” Jesus says. “Be on your
guard against all kinds of greed; for a man’s life does not consist in the
abundance of his possessions. . . For what will it profit a man if he
gains the whole world, yet loses his own soul?” In today’s Gospel Reading, Jesus is tempted by the greatest shiny
object in all of history. “He asked [his disciples], ‘Who do people say I
am?’ They replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and
still others, one of the prophets.’ ‘But what about you?’ he asked. ‘Who
do you say I am?’ Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ.’” The word “Christ” means the “Messiah,” the “Savior” of the world
promised from of old to come from the Hebrew people. But, when Peter
confesses “You are the Christ,” at that point he didn’t understand that Jesus
would save the world through his suffering, death, and resurrection. That
is why the Gospel Reading says that immediately, “[Jesus] then began to teach
them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders,
chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after
three days rise again.” Jesus constantly had to fight widespread Messianic misconceptions, even
among his own disciples. For, the Hebrew people had twisted the Old
Testament promises of the Messiah, and expected that when he came the Messiah
would be not the Savior of our souls for eternal life, but a mighty worldly
warrior and the greatest of all earthly kings. Throughout his ministry Jesus had to constantly correct this Messianic
misconception. There’s a very telling verse in the Gospel of John: “Jesus,
knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to
a mountain by himself.” Jesus would not let them “make him king by force.”
He rejected a crown of gold, because for us and our salvation he had to wear a
crown of thorns. “He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside
and began to rebuke him. But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he
rebuked Peter. ‘Get behind me, Satan!’ he said. ‘You do not have in mind the
things of God, but the things of men.’” Satan is working through Peter to try to lure Jesus away from his
Messianic mission, tempting Jesus with the shiny object of a worldly kingdom, an
earthly throne, a golden crown, instead of suffering and dying for our
salvation. But, Jesus will not be led astray. “Get behind me, Satan!
You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” “For the Son of Man came not be served,” Jesus said, “but to serve and
to give his life as a ransom for many.” Paul puts it this way in Philippians,
“Though being in very nature God, he did not consider equality with God
something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant,
being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled
himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.” His death
on the cross was a sacrifice to pay for your sins. Because of his life,
suffering, death, and resurrection, your sins are all forgiven. “Then [Jesus] called the crowd to him along with his disciples and
said: ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross
and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but
whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.” In his
book “The Cost of Discipleship” the Lutheran theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer
wrote, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him to come and die.” That’s
literally what happened to Bonhoeffer just a few years after he wrote those
words, when in the final days of World War II he was executed at the Flossenburg
concentration camp because of his resistance to the Nazis. The camp doctor who witnessed his execution said: “I saw Pastor
Bonhoeffer . . . kneeling on the floor praying fervently to God. I was most
deeply moved by the way this lovable man prayed, so devout and so certain that
God heard his prayer. At the place of execution, he again said a short prayer,
and then climbed the few steps to the gallows, brave and composed. His death
ensued after a few seconds. . . I have hardly ever seen a man die so entirely
submissive to the will of God.” At any moment that scene could be repeated in Iran. Yousof
Nadarkhani is a brave, 40-year-old Iranian Christian pastor, with a wife and two
young boys. Seven years ago Pastor Nadarkhani, like Bonhoeffer, was sentenced to
death by hanging, because at age 19 he converted from Islam. He hasn’t
been executed yet because his case sparked an international outcry and there
have been appeals, and legal twists and turns, but the threat of death still
hangs over him. The London Daily Mail reported: “He was . . . tried and found
guilty of apostasy . . . and sentenced to death. . . the . . . court’s
decision also included a provision for annulment of the death sentence if Mr.
Nadarkhani recanted his faith. . .” Pastor Nadarkhani could save his life if he would renounce faith in
Christ. But, the Daily Mail continues: “Nadarkhani told the court . . .
that he had no intention of returning to Islam. He said: ‘Repent means to
return. What should I return to? To the blasphemy that I had before my faith in
Christ?’” “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet loses
his own soul?” Pastor Nadarkhani has weighed the profit and loss.
The profit of keeping his earthly life is not worth the loss of his soul for
eternal life. What about you? All those shiny objects Satan tempts you with; are they
worth wandering from the faith; are they worth the loss of your soul? “If
anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and
follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever
loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. For what will it
profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet loses his own soul?” As you live out your daily life, don’t lose sight of the eternal
consequences, don’t forget to take into account the eternal “Profit and Loss.” Return to Top | Return to Sermons | Home | Email Church Office
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