June 13

Profit And Loss

Peter began to say to Him, “Look, we have left everything and followed You.” “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for My sake and for the gospel will fail to receive a hundredfold in the present age—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and fields, along with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life. — Mark 10:28-30 BSB

The principles of this world and those of our Lord are vastly different. The world is focused on accumulating wealth, self-promotion, climbing the ladder of fame, and gathering friends. The phrase "looking out for number one" sums up the world’s approach to life. Yet, this way of living is ultimately unsatisfying and disappointing. A soul centered on itself is bound to experience more losses than gains, more bitterness than success, and more dark days than bright ones.

In contrast, Christ’s way of life is about giving, trusting, and blessing. His generosity knows no bounds—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. When asked for a coat, He urges us to give a cloak as well; when asked to go one mile, He encourages us to go two. This willingness to give all for others is the hallmark of those who call Him Lord.

Throughout history, many have joyfully accepted this way of life. The Apostles were leaders of a great multitude who left everything to follow Jesus. Like their Lord, who had no place to rest His head, they wandered the world without a permanent home, proclaiming, “Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, I give.” And how great their reward has been! To truly experience all that Christ has for us, we must not only take hold of Him but also let go of everything else. We must be willing to step out of the boat, leaving it behind. Like the Apostle Paul, when we are in need of all things, we come to possess everything by faith. The paradoxes of faith that Paul speaks of in 2 Corinthians 4 remind us of this truth.

The Lord promises eternal life as the crown of all. When we kneel at the Cross and see Jesus as our Savior, we have eternal life, but we will only fully understand what that means when mortality is swallowed up by life.

Prayer

You have called us to minister and to bear witness, to go among people as our Savior did, carrying the balm of Gilead in our hands. May we not be disobedient to this heavenly vision. Amen.