The Obsession with Possession

 Losing the Turnover Battle

Sports fans know that turnovers can be the real enemy. Victory is almost impossible when your team keeps giving away the ball or puck to your opponent. Coaches lose sleep over losing the turnover battle.

There’s such an obsession with possession that teams take extreme measures in practice. Football coaches will soak the old pigskin in water to simulate playing in the rain. Defenses teach techniques that cause fumbles and interceptions.

Keeping It through Losing It

Funny thing about turnovers in real life. Jesus says they’re actually a good thing…for you to do! During a team meeting in Mark’s Gospel, He encourages His players to give away their most precious possession, their very own life (Mk 8:34-38). And here’s the crazy thing. That’s the only way you can really hang onto it.

Yeah, you read that right. A follower of Jesus needs to drop their obsession with possession of their life if they really want to keep it. The key to winning the ultimate turnover battle as a disciple is to lose it intentionally.

Who Is He?

It’s just the latest mind bending moment for the original Dirty Dozen here in John Mark’s bio of the Son of God. As His popularity skyrockets and the crowds get larger and larger, He keeps His true identity a closely guarded secret.

Oh, there are lots of wild guesses about who He really is. Religious bigwigs believe He’s straight from Satan (Mk 3:22). His own family thinks He’s come unhinged (Mk 3:21). Folks from His hometown see Him as a source of scandal (Mk 6:3). Even the members of His team can’t figure it out (Mk 4:41).

A Growing Buzz

But most people know there’s something special, dare they say, even supernatural about the radical Rabbi/Carpenter from Nazareth. Could He be one of those prophetic hall of famers come back from the dead (Mk 6:14-16; 8:28)?

There’s a growing buzz that Jesus may actually be Messiah, the long awaited Hero from heaven sent by God to save the day. That’s the setting as the camera zooms in on our Savior and His crew in the suburbs of the mountain resort of Caesarea Philippi.

Rocky Gets It Right

It’s at this point that the disciple He’s nicknamed Rocky says out loud what many are thinking. “You are the Messiah” (Mk 8:29). Matthew lets us know that Jesus tells Pete that he’s nailed it (Mt 16:17-18).

Before the boys have a chance to celebrate this amazing news, Christ crushes their expectations. Oh, He’s the Messiah alright. But He’s not THAT kind of Messiah. His path to victory is through suffering, rejection, death, and resurrection (Mk 8:31). Seems they missed the whole resurrection part.

That’s Crazy Talk!

Moments after Peter puts together the pieces of the puzzle to call Him the Christ, the leader of the disciples tells Jesus He’s doing it all wrong (Mk 8:32). Doesn’t He realize that Messiahs aren’t snubbed, tortured, and crucified? That’s just crazy talk!

Jesus makes it clear that this is EXACTLY His messianic mission. He looks right in Pete’s eyes, calls him “Satan,” and says that kind of attitude gets in the way of what He’s come to do (Mk 8:33).

That’s What It’s All about

That’s when Christ calls the crowd in so they can hear a very important announcement (Mk 8:34). There are three steps to the discipleship dance. One, put down your life. Two, pick your cross. Three, follow your Lord. Forget the Hokey Pokey. THIS is what it’s all about!

Talking Turnovers

Before anybody can take that first step, Jesus then starts talking turnovers. “If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for My sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it” (v35). Drop your obsession with possession. The only way to win is by truly losing.

Can’t you just see the puzzled expressions on the faces in the crowd? If I was there, I have no doubt that I would be looking back at the Lord like my dog looks at television.

What in the world are You talking about?!? If I want to keep my life, I have to lose it? Giving myself away intentionally is the only I can actually set myself free? What sort of bizarro, upside-down world is the Son of God describing?

An Apparent Contradiction from Christ

Well, the best thing for us to do is unpack a few things that help us understand what sure sounds like a complete contradiction from Christ. Let’s start with what Jesus refers to as “life.” This is the Greek word ψυχη/psuche.

We see this term four times in just three verses (v35-37). So getting a grip on what our Savior’s talking about it is kind of a big deal. Ψυχη/Psuche has a LOT of different meanings which vary depending on how it’s used.

The Real You

Sometimes it describes the mind. It’s actually where we get our word psychology. It can also be talking about physical life. You’ll find other places where we translate it as “heart” (Mt 26:38; Eph 6:6; Heb 12:3). Other times it means your soul or your inmost being.

So which one is it here? What Jesus is talking about in this context is the real you. Think of it this way. Your soul is your true self. You’re not a body with a soul. It’s actually the other way around. You’re a soul with a body.

The Survival of Your Earth Suit

Stew on that idea just a moment. Your existence is NOT dependent on the survival of your earth suit. God fearfully and wonderfully created our physical anatomy as a very awesome but very temporary container. No matter how often you hit the gym, your anatomy has an expiration date.

When it finally stops working, your body may be available for viewing at the visitation. I’m sure you’ll appreciate folks stopping by but he real you will be long gone by the time your funeral rolls around.

Saving Yourself by Losing Yourself

The big idea here is that the only way to truly save yourself is to lose yourself. The word the NLT translates “hang on to” (Gr. σωζω/sozo) the same word we find elsewhere that means to save, keep safe and sound, rescue from danger, or preserve.

It’s how the writers of the New Testament describe how Jesus has come to save us from our selves (Mt 1:21; 10:22; 18:11; Mk 16:16; Lk 8:12; 13:23; 19:10; Jn 3:17; 5:34; 10:9; 12:47). Sure, the heroes of both Marvel and DC have some sweet powers, but they don’t hold a candle to the ultimate Superhero from Heaven who’s come to our rescue.

Our Only Shot

That’s because we can’t save ourselves. Oh, you can try. But but just ain’t happening, boys and girls. One of the greatest religious superstars in the history of Judaism breaks the bad news. “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Rom 3:23). Did you catch how he says “everyone” and “all”? That includes you and me.

Doubling Down on Jesus

Our only shot is by placing our trust in Jesus. He lived the perfect life that we failed to live. He died the death for our sin and rebellion against God that we should have died. He rose to a glorious new life that we don’t deserve. That’s the VERY Good News!

When we double down on what the Lord has done for us and follow His leadership, He trades His perfection for the dumpster fire I’ve made my life. “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ” (2Cor 5:21).

Let It Go!

In other words, we can’t possibly save ourselves. So take Elsa’s advice and “Let it go! Let it go!” (Your welcome for the ear worm!) Forget all this self-actualization psychobabble about finding your true self. The only way to maintain your true self is to drop it like a bad habit.

Losing your yourself is letting it all go. Your wants. Your dreams. Your pride. Your priorities. Cough ‘em up. Jesus has something SO much better for you. A little something He likes to call the “rich and satisfying life” (Jn 10:10). And He can’t give it to you when your hands are full.

An Endless Series of Selfies

Christ says the key to actually saving our lives is totally embracing Him as well as the incredibly Good News He came to bring. It’s hard to love others, serve others, and tell others about Jesus when we’re busing filling my Instagram feed with an endless series of selfies.

The Lord is calling us to turn our phones around and get our focus off ourselves. Ending the obsession with possession is a Me Third attitude. What does that mean? God first. Others second. Me third.

Return on Investment

Remember, we’re NOT giving away ourselves forever. Losing the turnover battle on this side eternity is how we actually get our life back big time for the rest of time. Could there be a more awesome example of delayed gratification?

An apostle named Paul puts it this way. “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” (2Cor 4:17).

That means sacrificing ourselves for others now is actually an investment in eternity. There’s not a 401k or mutual fund anywhere that can match that kind of return on investment!

Our Savior’s Selfless Sacrifice

If you’re looking for the perfect example of what this looks like, look no further than Jesus Himself. In a letter to his friends in Phillipi, that guy Paul quotes the lyrics of a popular worship tune to make his point about the selfless sacrifice of our Savior.

“Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, He gave us His divine privileges; 

He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.

“When He appeared in human form, He humbled Himself to God and died a criminals death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated Him to the highest place of honor and gave Him the name above all other names” (Phil 2:6-9).

Self-Help Is No Help

Nobody gave up more of themselves than the Lord. Nobody got more in return. Christ won the turnover battle by losing it. I love how the Message puts it. “Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, My way, to saving yourself, your true self” (v35 The Message).

You actually find your true self when you lose yourself by following Jesus and serving others. Stop playing the game of life so conservatively. Live with wild abandon. Leave it all on the field. Don’t hold anything back in how you love, give, and live for others.

Draining Our Eternal Account

Jesus goes on to warn that selfishly trying to get it all now actually drains our eternal account. “And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?” (v36). He can’t state it strongly enough. There’s no great early withdrawal penalty.

In doing so, the Lord actually uses the language of a financial advisor. “Benefit” (Gr. ωφελεω/opheleo) comes from a root word meaning to accumulate or pile up. “Gain” (Gr. κερδαινω/kerdaino) describes a proactive measure to avoid a loss.

He warns against piling up a massive portfolio in an aggressive attempt to simply avoid earthly bankruptcy. Over in Luke’s Gospel, Christ advises a wealthy up-and-comer how we’ll never find life in the pile of our stuff (Lk 12:15). It’s clear this hot shot has an obsession with his possessions.

Self-Inflicted Violence

Oh, your financial statement may impress Bill Gates or Warren Buffett, but also causes unexpected collateral damage when you “lose your own soul” (v36). The word behind “lose” is ζημιοω/zemio’o, which comes from a root word describing violent destruction and suffering.

When Paul’s ship is caught in a hurricane, he tries his best to convince the captain that “there is trouble ahead if we go on—shipwreck, loss (Gr. ζημιοω/zemio’o) of cargo, and danger to our lives as well” (Acts 27:10). They’re about to be slammed on the rocks!

Jesus isn’t just talking about the inconvenience of losing your car keys. He wants us to understand the self-inflicted violence we experience when our own greed rips out our very soul. Just so you know, “soul” is ψυχη/psuche, the same word the NLT translates as “life” twice verse 35.

A Huge Steaming Pile

The apostle formerly known as Saul actually uses a couple of these very same Greek terms in describing the value of knowing Jesus to his friend in Philippi.

Paul has “discarded (Gr. ζημιοω/zemio’o) everything else” and now considers it all to be a huge steaming pile (yes, that’s EXACTLY what he says!), “so that I could gain (Gr. κερδαινω/kerdaino) Christ” (Phil 3:8).

Losing the Real You

After laying out all the facts about the foolishness of trying to hang onto your life, Jesus has a question for the crowd He’s gathered. “Is anything worth more than your soul?” (v37).

The folks at the NLT have actually paraphrased the original language here. A closer word-for-word translation might be, “For what shall a person exchange their true self?” What’s worth losing the real you?

Bueller? Bueller?

I have to wonder. When the Lord asks His question, does He wait for folks to respond? Does He just let it sit there like an 800-pound gorilla? I picture this as the First Century version of “Bueller? Bueller?” Nobody makes eye contact. Lots of sandal shuffling. Nothing but crickets.

While the people ponder Christ’s uncomfortable question, He takes things up a notch. “If anyone is ashamed of Me and My message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when He returns in the glory of His Father with the holy angels” (v38).

Gulp.

Check the Reviews

If you’re more concerned about becoming rich and famous at the cost your true self here on earth, you clearly have zero interest in spending eternity with Jesus. The Son of God certainly isn’t going to force you into hanging out with Him forever when you don’t want to now.

This is another reminder of the old saying that the gates of hell are locked from the inside. We get to reserve our location for the afterlife now. Like VRBO and AirBnB, it’s a good idea to check the reviews before booking. This one’s a no brainer.

When the Going Gets Tough

What His followers don’t realize is there will be plenty of reasons to be ashamed and bail on Jesus. Just you wait. As a matter of fact, most of His personal posse will punk out down the stretch.

Judas will sell Him out for a handful of silver. Pete will fold up like a cheap suit when a middle school girl asks him a couple of questions. When the going gets tough, the not-so-tough will get going…in the opposite direction.

The Object of Our Faith

But it’s not like the Lord is looking for a reason to kick us to the eternal curb. He knows our trust in Him can be all over the place. It’s not a matter of the strength of our faith but the strength of the object of our faith. And there’s no stronger object of our faith than Jesus.

Let me give you an example. A little later in Mark, we meet a father who’s trust in God is in trouble when an evil spirit tortures his son. This desperate dad begs Jesus for help. Christ reassures him, “Anything is possible if a person believes” (Mk 9:23).

He Remains Faithful

The man responds with one of the most honest answers you’ll ever hear. “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mk 9:24). That’s because we’re all unbelievers to some extent on this side of heaven.

This guy trusts in Jesus’ unwavering faithfulness rather than his own wobbling faith. It’s like what Paul tells his buddy Timothy. “If we deny Him, He will deny us. If we are faithful, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny who He is” (2Tim 2:12-13).

He’s Coming Back

Meanwhile, there’s something else going on in Jesus’ statement to the crowd. This is very first time our Savior talks about His second coming in the second Gospel. He’s promising to make an encore unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.

The Son of God will go into much more detail with the guys later on the Mount of Olives (Mk 13:1-37). But He’s coming back again. You can take that to the bank. If we don’t claim Christ during our lifetime, why should He claim us when He returns?

Trading Your Life for the Temporary

In the meantime, let’s do everything possible to win the ultimate turnover battle by losing our lives. Self-sacrifice is the only way to find your true self. Trading your life for the temporary isn’t worth it.

Don’t become a victim of your obsession with possession.

©2018

Jay Jennings