What Profit Is It

“For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?” Matthew 16:26

John Calvin, one of the great theologians of the Protestant Reformation, who eventually founded Presbyterianism, once wrote, “It's hard to remember that Jesus did not come to make us safe, but rather to make us disciples, citizens of God's new age, a kingdom of surprise.”

I suppose that it is true in every aspect of life, we have this secret feeling deep in our heart that if we could just figure out what is expected of us – if we could narrow the field down to the exact things that we have to do... everything would work out perfectly.

If I just knew what to eat to lose weight. If I just knew what to do so my kids would turn out okay. If I just knew what to do so people would love me. If I just knew what to do to get the promotion. And each time, we imagine there is a simple black and white answer. Give up carbs and, viola, I will be young and healthy and skinny.

Of course, despite our hope that there are easy answers... It simply is not true.
It is not true that if you go to church you are religious. It is not true that being a Christian makes you holier than other people. And it is certainly not true that following Jesus is as easy as showing up to church.

Like it or not we have to confront the hard sayings of Jesus and come to realize that when Jesus taught people to follow God, it was not simply that God would love them and everything would be okay... Our story also tells us that when the end started getting nearer Jesus tried harder to explain discipleship to his followers and he said things like:

“If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?”

During World War Two an interesting thing happened with the Church in Germany. You see, Adolph Hitler was among other things an extremely religious man. He built cathedrals and gathered religious artefacts together in his New Berlin. At the same time, the church and state in Germany have always been hand in hand, and he needed that power; so he created the German Christian Movement to take the church in hand as part of the National Socialist Party.

There is an ethical dilemma for you. As a Christian should you go along with the government if you have some knowledge that their decisions are wrong? What is a disciple of Jesus supposed to do?

Karl Barth – perhaps the most famous of modern theologians, got some learned friends and faithful followers together and created the Barmen Declaration. They created a breakaway movement called the “Confessing Church” to oppose Nazism; or rather, to remind people that as disciples of God, following the teachings of Jesus, we cannot act in ways contrary to God.

Dietrich Bonheoffer; one of the pastors who signed, was later arrested for his part in the plot to assassinate Hitler. He wrote what has now become a classic in theological literature about following Jesus, The Cost of Discipleship, in which he says, “Suffering is the true badge of discipleship. The disciple is not above his master.”

Okay, all very formal, all very history lesson-like; but I am trying to impress upon you the truth that choosing to be a disciple of Jesus is not a simple thing – it is in fact choosing to live in a way that will constantly bring you in conflict with the values of the world; the powers that be, and the way things have always been.

But here is the other thing. One doesn’t have to be a hero to be a disciple. I think sometimes we get a sense of this when we stop and think about the people God worked through in the Bible. Jesus was a poor stone mason’s son; Moses was an exiled slave, prince imposter who had a speech impediment; and just about everyone else always has some excuse why it should not be them – too young, too old, too rich, too poor... What we need to realize is that the Bible is talking about how ordinary people find the courage to be faithful.

It is all well and good to say that – and to realize it with our heads; but do we realize it in our hearts?

Moses was living his life the only way he knew how. He was tending the sheep for his brother in law while carving out a life in the wilderness of the Middle East. One day, he had a vision, perhaps a dream, perhaps an encounter with something greater than himself – with God. And that encounter was really quite simple.

He was walking on the side of a hill with his sheep, wondering, “Is this all there is to life?” when out of the corner of his eye he saw something he could not explain – later it would get called a burning bush – but let’s just say it was something that made Moses believe that he was not alone. So he started a conversation with God and essentially asked God – tell me who you are once and for all, so I can get that black and white answer and know what to do with my life.
And God, trying to be helpful said, “I am who I am” or perhaps God said “I will be who I will be” – you could take the Hebrew either way.

Which on the one hand sounds pretty evasive; it certainly does not sound black and white; but on the other hand, was just the answer Moses seemed to need.

It could be that Moses heard God say: “It’s not all about you.” And if so, that led him to realize that his life had purpose, it had destiny, and that he should be using his gifts to help other people.

It could be that Moses heard God say: “I just am!” And if that were the case, perhaps it was an invitation to live life fully. To stop worrying that there is more to life and to realize that this is life, all around you, so wake up and live it.

Or perhaps Moses heard God say: “I will be!” And it came across as a challenge. Things are going to be different and you should come along for the journey. Have faith, and hope, that things will work out in the best possible way – and lend a hand to make that happen.

In any of those cases – what we really see is the original idea of discipleship being about getting outside of yourself, accepting that there is a whole world out there that you have a part to play in.

Jesus said it just as simply - deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow. He wasn’t saying that we had to become martyrs and die horribly, he was saying that we have to let go of our own desires a little, stop doing everything just for ourselves, and enter into the reality of the world, which often means making hard and costly choices.

It could be as simple as helping a stranger, or smiling at someone who looks lonely. It could be as large as risking everything to help make something better, or giving up security in order to find hope. Whatever the case, being a disciple is the only possible course that is open to us if we truly understand what Jesus taught; after all, as he said, and I paraphrase, “Even if we were to become rich, and famous, and healthy, and powerful – and did nothing with our life but died lonely and alone. Our life would mean nothing.”

Theresa of Avila, a Carmelite nun, and mystic, who lived in Spain in the 1500’s put all of this together when she wrote a poem called, You are Christ’s Hands

Christ has no body now on earth but yours,
no hands but yours,
no feet but yours,
Yours are the eyes through which to look out
Christ’s compassion to the world
Yours are the feet with which he is to go about
doing good;
Yours are the hands with which he is to bless men now.