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Then Jesus said to all, "If
anyone wishes to come after
me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow
me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose
it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. What profit is
there for one to gain the
whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?"
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"Another
doctor’s bill, another lawyer’s bill, another cute cheap
thrill. You know you love him if you put him
in your
will. Who will save your soul; who will
save your soul after all the lies that you told. Who
will save your soul if you won’t save
your own? We try to hustle them, try to
bustle them, try to cuss them. But we
call religion our friend. We’re so
worried about saving our souls, afraid that God will take His toll that
we
forget to begin. Some are walking, some
are talking, some are stalking their kill. You
got social security, but that don’t pay your bills.
There are addictions to feed and there are
mouths to pay, so you bargain with the devil, say you’re okay for
today."
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Unbelievably,
the subject of one’s salvation is the topic of Jewel’s song
"Who Will Save Your
Soul." She advises that everyone must
question everything they do in light of the salvation of their own
souls. It is an unhappy life she pictures. But her response
is a challenge: "Who will
save your souls," she sings, "who will save your soul if
you won’t save your
own?"
It is the question of a believer. It is the question of Jesus Christ. "What profit will there be for one to gain the whole world," Jesus challenges, "and [at the same time] forfeit his life?" Life eternal is Jesus’ focus as he reminds his followers that the "Son of Man will come ... and ... repay everyone according to his conduct" (Matthew 16:26, 27). Placing the thoughts into the modern American mind, we discover some serious challenges of our own. What profit will there be when one enjoys everything the world has to give? What profit will there be for one who lords it over others? What profit will there be for one who has all the money possible? What profit will there be for such a one if it means a forfeit of eternal life? More to the point, is temporary happiness worth losing your soul permanently? One further task. Jewel continues in her song, commenting that "we’re so worried about saving our souls ... that we forget to begin." We may understand that there are problems with accepting temporary joys, and even realize that they can destroy our souls, but it is not enough to have the knowledge. We must begin to do something about it. |
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THOUGHT
Do
you think that most people consider seriously the
Christian fact that God will
judge us according to our conduct? Yes
or no and why?
PRAYER Good
and gracious God, we are surrounded by examples of people who do things
wrong
and do not think about what they are doing. Help
us carefully consider your Son’s words to study what is really
profitable in this world. Be with us, we
pray.
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©2007
Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America |
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