Gains of This World vs. Value of the Human Soul
Matthew 16:26
“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”
This is a very sobering question that Jesus asks His disciples. The Greek word for soul in this passage is psuche which means life force or the will, mind, and emotions of a person that are eternal. As Jesus spells out the plans for His remaining time on earth in Matthew 16:21-22, the news is devastating! The exchange for the eternal welfare of the human soul is about to be made but the death of Jesus was too extreme a price for Peter to accept. Therefore, Peter is greatly offended by this news and rebukes Jesus for His comments. Then Jesus does something unexpected. He turns to Peter and rebukes the real enemy, the unseen culprit who has Peter entrenched in fear. Jesus says, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
A Divine Revelation
Even though Jesus was rebuking the enemy, I’m sure Peter felt the sting of this rebuke as well. Remember, it was also Peter who proclaimed, “Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God” and received praise from Jesus who again points to the true source of Peter’s proclamation. “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter (meaning rock), and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. ” Wow! That’s some pretty lofty acclaim Jesus is bestowing on Peter, but sadly, it is short-lived.
How could someone get it so right one minute and then get it so wrong moments later? Could it have been the gains of this world (blessing, honor, prestige) that Jesus had just bestowed on Peter, that clouded his judgment and resulted in this strong rebuke from Jesus moments later? After all, Peter, like many Jews of the time, believed the coming Messiah would restore the nation of Israel and reign as its King. Simon/Peter had given up everything to see that dream come to fruition. The death of that dream would be a hard pill for anyone to swallow, not to mention the looming reality that, if Jesus was put to death, the disciple’s lives could be in danger, as well. So, the gains of this world via power and security, were also being placed on the chopping block. Obviously, Peter wasn’t down with any of this, and I imagine the other disciples weren’t either.
Another reality to consider for Peter’s rebuke of Jesus was the relationship Peter had with Jesus. He was considered to be one of Jesus’ closest friends. Why wouldn’t he try and stop Jesus from being killed? Protecting those we love is an honorable thing to do, right? Why sacrifice everything they had accomplished? For Jesus to die now seemed pointless and implied failure. Yet Jesus knew that his death would matter more to Peter than Peter could possibly know. In Matthew 16:24 Jesus makes it very clear to Peter and His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” Little did they know, at that moment, the full meaning of those words. Even for those of us who have embraced the sacrificial gift of Jesus’ death on the cross, do we?
A Divine Challenge
Like Peter, our pride, arrogance, and the gains of this world can hinder our understanding of the value of the human soul. Our nation is currently entrenched in crisis! Crime is out of control in our cities, fentanyl is taking the lives of thousands, human life is reduced to what viability means, and the well-being of our children is in a state of confusion and chaos. The moral decay of our nation as a whole has created a tidal wave of despondency across this country. So many problems with too few answers are hollowing out the souls of the American people and what are we, as believers, doing about it?
Like Peter, our play-it-safe mentality rebukes times of adversity because we fail to see the redemptive value that trials, tribulations, and suffering have on our souls. Jesus wanted Peter, His disciples, and us to KNOW the truth of Matthew 16:26! That the value of the human soul is worth more than anything this world has to offer, and to drive home the point, He laid down His life to purchase it!
Have you asked yourself lately what’s important to you or what you’d be willing to die for if you had to? I have, and the answer seems too extreme to utter. The constant striving to obtain and protect the gains of this world has come at the cost of the human soul, and I can honestly say, IT’S NOT WORTH IT! To God, all lives matter regardless of ethnicity, gender, social status, or viability. The price tag of the cross and Jesus’ nail-scarred hands clearly reflect the value that God puts upon the human soul.
Call to Action
Beloved, it’s time to re-access the value we place on the human soul. We need to shed our pride, arrogance, play it safe mentally, and step out of our comfort zone, and bring the eternal value of the human soul to center stage. The Gospel “good news for the soul” needs to be our focus in our daily conversations and the major theme of our prayers! If we don’t get this right, we will hear the same rebuke as Peter did, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” Sadly, for those we fail to share the gospel with; the consequence to them could be eternal separation from God. 
Father, one lost soul matters greatly to You! May it matter greatly to us, as well. The gains of this world often overshadow the value of eternal life. Help us to cherish it, not only for what it cost You to save us but also for what it saved us from and the redemptive value it holds for our lives now. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen!