"What can man give in return for his life?" . . . A Lenten Devotion

"What can man give in return for his life?" (Mark 8:37)

This part of the book of Mark is too good to not go back a couple verse to look at what is being said.  Here is Mark 8:34-37

"He [Jesus] called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “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, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it.  For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life?  Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? "

Jesus is basically telling the crowd and his friends what it means to truly be a follower of Christ.  At the end it's the question "So . . . are you in . . . or out?"  Basically you could boil this down to the point of what it looks like to follow Christ in this world.  Truly following Christ looks foolish to the "normal" society that we see around us.   Society tells us that we should want that shiny new car, or that cabin in the mountains, or vacations on cruise ships.  Society tells us that we should want  to climb a corporate ladder, fight for pay raises each year, and constantly strive for more and better.  In our eternal life with God will any bit of that matter?  No.  After we die can we take those treasures of earth with us?  No.  Do those attitudes fulfill our desires or God's work in the world?  . . .

Instead what does God call us to invest our time, treasure and talents in?  We are asked to build authentic relationships with the people around us.  We are called to truly enter into the brokenness of our own lives and others lives, recognize it and live in community with the broken people around us.   Sometimes we are called to help others, at times we're called to simply be with others.  God calls us in all of this to not necessarily "fix" what is broken in the world.  However, God asks us to point toward the crucified and risen Christ in all of this.  As followers of Christ we are called to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ into those broken places and let his light shine.  God is with us, among, encouraging us and doing ministry in the world . . . all through those who truly are disciples of Christ.

So, when you look at what Jesus is asking his followers, what he's asking you . . . Do you want to take up your cross and follow Jesus. Are you willing to lose your life for the sake of Jesus in order to live more fully with God.  

So . . . are you in . . . or out?