The expression itself is abundantly apparent folly. How can one "gain the whole world"? And yet, isn't this the pursuit all too many of us set ourselves out upon?
In today's Gospel (Luke 9:23-27, Tuesday of the week of 4th Luke) Jesus says these words clearly, unmistakeably. "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?" (Luke 9:25)
And so our Lord encourages us to take up our own crosses, and to the best of our ability carry them as He demonstrated to us His own willingness to carry the Cross. Saving this life - what meaning does this have? It is filled with as much folly as is that first expression of gaining the whole world. Who can save their life? And we mean by this, who can preserve this life so that it never ends? It is impossible!
Our only hope, then, is to pursue a life that cannot see an end. And in all of history, only One Hope for this has ever appeared. He is the One who gave us the above instruction. He is the One who loves mankind to such an extent that He willed to give up His own life for the salvation (granting an eternal life) to every human who seeks with all their heart to do His will, to follow His commandments, to repent of their sins, and to care for the least of His brethren.
You won't find these concepts "in the world". The world preaches gaining ever more, and more, and yet more - not for the sake of doing good with the gains, but simply for the sake of having more.
St. John Cassian teaches this: "When the Apostle said, 'Make no provision to fulfill the desires of the flesh' (Rom 13:14), he was not forbidding us to provide for the needs of life; he was warning us against self-indulgence. Moreover, by itself abstinence from food does not contribute to perfect purity of soul unless other virtues are active as well. Humility, for example, practiced through obedience in our work and through bodily hardship, is a great help." (On the Eight Vices)
'Gaining the world' is taking more than one needs. Gaining the Kingdom is receiving all of one's needs. In serving oneself, we are bombarded with temptations - "Eat this," "Take that," "Look here," "Go there," "Get angry," "Be vengeful," "Seek pleasure," and how many others? We are pulled is every different direction by the temptations that flow toward us. But there is only one direction we should pursue, "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness..." (Mat 6:33) Jesus taught, "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." (Mat 7:13-14) Many are the temptations leading to that broad gate.
Let us become a people who seek that narrow gate, regardless of how difficult it may be to parse our world so that we may find it, and enter by it!
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