Everything is about winning and profit and gaining in the world in which we live every day. When the stock market goes into a slide, as has done recently, stockholders get worried. They may even go into a panic, as financial people did a few times earlier in American history. Why? Because it is considered all-important to security to be financially independent. When health itself seems insecure, then this financial loss may make us feel even more insecure. We may even be tempted to become out of control in terms of anxiety.

Jesus’ words in today’s gospel may sound very foreign to the world we live in. He uses language in a different way, pointing out that profit and loss are to be measure far differently than even the world in Jesus’ time measured them. The wisdom lies with being willing to “lose our life for Christ’s sake.” Savings are not measured in terms of what we have coming to us, but how we can serve Christ. The most important is to find life in the Cross and in following Jesus.

Jesus is truly turning the world upside down with His statements, probably separating the disciples from the crowd. The profit/loss margin is immaterial. If we follow Christ, whether the markets go up or down, whether we are richer or poorer in terms of the world’s goods, we will have the true gold of an abundant life now, as well as eternal life with God.

“Gracious God, lead us to not be too anxious about our goods and our health, but to trust in you and to follow you. Amen.” 

-Pastor Roger