For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (Mark 8:36-37)

The Two Most Important Questions

A king lay on his deathbed with all his possessions surrounding him. He demanded all his gold be stacked before him, along with precious garments, trophies, and treasures, and the window opened wide to gaze upon his kingdom. As he lay dying, he felt remorse at all the things he had spent a lifetime hoarding, realizing he was unable to take any with him. He felt betrayed by the cost of a wasteful life. His accomplishments in life filled the room, but to what end? As the last breath escaped his lips, he grasped to hold onto his possessions, and then he died. His spirit left his body, and all his worldly goods remained.

Jesus posed two questions that must impact the heart of every man. The reason the questions are important is they apply to every human being that lives. It does not matter what station in life or the pedigree a man attains. Wealth will not change reality. Death is the common factor for every human being and the great equalizer. If a man is poor, he will leave nothing. A rich man will leave it all. What is common for the poor and rich man is not the life before death but that death comes to all men. What happens after death is what matters.

The desire for riches is as old as sin. Men have craved the world’s possessions to quench their thirst for pleasure. Seeking the fame and fortunes of life has driven men to waste a lifetime seeking after all the things that no man takes with them when they die. Solomon is the wealthiest man that has ever lived, and when he died, he left it all. Someone asked how much money John Rockefeller left when he died. The reply? “All of it.” The tombs of Egypt bear testimony that death separates a man from his possessions.

Question one: What benefit is there to gain the whole world and lose eternal life? Methuselah lived 969 years, and he died. What was the gain of such a long life? Caesar Augustus was the greatest of all emperors, ruling over the greatest kingdom of man and living seventy-five years. The Beatles are considered one of the greatest music groups of modern times. Laurence Olivier is at the top of the list of great actors. Forty-five men have served in forty-six presidencies in the United States. Albert Einstein and Marilyn vos Savant are two of the smartest people in modern times. Walter Alston achieved the highest prize in baseball when, in 1955 the Brooklyn Dodgers won the World Series.

What makes the list of highly accomplished and successful people of value is not what they achieved in life but what they have done about life after death. What is gained if a person gains all the wealth, knowledge, power, influence, and popularity the world can give and lose their soul? Gaining the world is an empty dream left behind in empty coffins and forgotten memories. Jesus clarified the reality of life and death. All that men gain in life is lost in death. What really matters is not what mountain a man can climb in this life but whether he is ready to walk through the valley of death.

Question two: Is anything worth more than the soul? The sad reality is that the greater part of humanity lives each day with the excitement of the pleasured throngs of fame, fortune, fantasy, and forgetfulness. Is fame worth more than eternal life? Can fortune bring happiness? All the joys of pleasures in the fantasy world quickly fade away. People live every day, forgetting the harbinger of death is waiting at the end of the road, and he is thorough. When a man dies, does he worry about his wealth or pleasure? All men who close their eyes in death unprepared fear what comes next.

The only thing that matters in life is preparing the eternal nature of man for what comes next. When someone dies, the question must be asked if they are ready to meet the Lord. That is all that matters. Sadly – according to Jesus – most will die unprepared. They have spent their lives gaining all the world offers and lose the only thing that made them real. Everyone has an eternal spirit that will not cease in death. Your answer to the two questions of Jesus is the most important of your life – and eternal existence. There are only two choices. You decide.