The Priceless Boon.

 •  1 min. read  •  grade level: 5
"What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" Mark 8:36, 3736For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 37Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? (Mark 8:36‑37).
THE latter clause of the above passage is often read as if it were, "What shall a man take in exchange for his soul?" Now if it were so, it would be little more than a repetition of the foregoing query, "What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" But the word is give, not take; and the Lord's meaning we believe to be this—What can we ever give Him in any way adequate to what He has given to us? He has redeemed our lives from destruction; ransomed our souls, taken them out of the enemy's hand; given back to us that which we had otherwise eternally lost—what then shall we ever give Him in exchange for so priceless a boon? "What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me?" (Psa. 116:1212What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me? (Psalm 116:12),) is the language of the loving worshipping heart. Let us take up our cross, and deny ourselves as we may; what is it all compared with the marvelous mercy which we have received?