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Explanation for:
Matthew
16
:
26
For what doth it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his own soul? Or what exchange shall a man give for his soul?
12
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{"arr":[{"author-name":"Jerome of Stridon","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88dcd3432c6dd41375498_Jerome%20of%20Stridon.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"For the soul of humanity, there exists but one atonement, concerning which the Psalmist proclaims: What shall I offer to the Lord for all His kindness toward me? I will receive the cup of salvation, and I will invoke the name of the Lord (Psalm 115:3-4)."},{"author-name":"John Chrysostom","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88ea76859f9f8e2ffd3ee_John%20Chrysostom.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"Observe how He commences this message and concludes in a similar manner. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” These pronouncements convey that I do not withhold from you; in fact, I show great mercy in giving you this command. Just as one who withholds discipline from his son ultimately harms him, so too, one who disciplines rightly nurtures him. A wise individual once remarked, “If you strike your son with a rod, he shall not perish; you will deliver his soul from death” (Proverbs 23:13-14). Furthermore, “he who spares his son will ultimately bring him pain” (Sirach 30:7). This principle applies to soldiers as well: if a commander, in his mercy, allows his troops to remain at home, he risks the ruin of those who accompany him. Therefore, to avoid such a fate, He urges that you must always be prepared for the possibility of death. For currently, a fierce conflict is already unfolding. Consequently, do not remain idle; instead, rise up and fight. Should you fall in this struggle, you will be rejuvenated at that very moment. Indeed, even in earthly confrontations, the one who bravely faces death is often deemed more honorable and feared by their adversaries, even when the king they serve cannot raise them from the dead. Thus, in this celestial battle, where the hope of resurrection is abundant, he who willingly offers his life will ultimately find it—firstly, since he is unlikely to suffer defeat, and secondly, because should he fall, he will surely gain a far greater life as a result."},{"author-name":"Ephraem the Syrian","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88b589fc3e99eb7bb1839_Ephraem%20the%20Syrian.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"Do not seek gain that harms the spirit, for what is more valuable than the soul?"},{"author-name":"Cyrill of Alexandria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88a8ea5c988a4fc073480_Cyrill%20of%20Alexandria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":5,"exegesis-text":"Given that the disciples had not yet been endowed with divine power from above (Luke 24:49), they might have succumbed to their human weaknesses, pondering questions such as, \\"How can anyone truly deny himself?\\" or \\"How can one who has forfeited his soul ever hope to regain it?\\" or \\"Why should those who persevere face such trials receive the same honor?\\" To steer them away from these contemplations and to instill in them a sense of courage fueled by the hope of future glory, He proclaims that some among those present will witness the coming of the Kingdom, referring particularly to Peter and the sons of Zebedee. They experienced a transformative moment on the mountain during the transfiguration, which the Lord designates as the Kingdom, due to its unveiling of the unfathomable majesty and the unchanging nature of His relationship with the Father. This event served to manifest the grandeur of His second coming, providing a profound prefiguration of it, suggesting it acts as a prelude to that glorious return. For the Lord will return in the splendor of God and the Father, and not in the manner of our own frailty."},{"author-name":"Euthymios Zigabenos","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":11,"exegesis-text":"It is indeed impossible to possess the entire world, yet even if one could attain it, it would hold no true value. All that exists in this world is transient, while the soul endures forever; earthly pleasures are fleeting, but the soul's torment is everlasting. This reality heightens the sense of dread; it is often through this that He admonishes His listeners. What price can a man offer for his soul in exchange for betrayal? If the entirety of the world cannot be considered equivalent to a single soul, what could ever serve as a ransom to free it from everlasting punishment? Clearly, there is none. Therefore, it becomes essential to abandon all else and prioritize the soul alone, which suffers through death and for which no payment can suffice. He aims to reveal to the indifferent that their negligence will not go unpunished, while assuring the diligent that their efforts will not be without reward. To further instill fear in the latter and to uplift the former, He declares:"},{"author-name":"Theophylact of Bulgaria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8989296bafed9104677d7_Theophylact%20of%20Bulgaria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":11,"exegesis-text":"Imagine, he suggests, that you have gained the entire world, yet what benefit is there in a thriving body if the soul is suffering? It resembles a household where the lady of the house is dressed in torn clothing while the servant is adorned in fine attire. For in the life to come, no one can offer a price for their soul. In this life, you can offer tears, sighs, and acts of charity, but in the next, such opportunities will not exist."},{"author-name":"Tichon of Zadonsk","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8989ff6b5b4c943e70095_Tichon%20of%20Zadonsk.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":18,"exegesis-text":"Our Lord Jesus Christ asks: What good is it to a person if he acquires the entire world but forfeits his own soul? (Matthew 16:26). If the entirety of the world holds no value compared to the salvation of one's soul, how much less do temporary riches, fleeting honor, and ephemeral glory matter when weighed against it. Who, but one who is foolish, would wish to rule the entire earth only to lose his life the very next day? Everyone naturally prefers to live rather than gain all the wealth of the world and then perish instantly. Yet what value is there in riches without life? If we consider temporary existence of greater worth than the whole world, how much more should we cherish eternal life, which, once attained, can never be taken away, and once lost, can never be regained. O eternal bliss, how precious you are, and so few seek you! How delightful, yet so few love you! The world, how bitter it is, and nearly everyone adores it! What would it be if it were pleasurable? Surely, like paradise, all would desire to exist eternally within it. However, man was fashioned by his Creator in the image and likeness of God for a heavenly, not earthly, homeland, and due to sin, he was stripped of this privilege and cast into this world as into a place of exile. Yet, through the grace of Christ, he is beckoned back to that homeland, experiencing rebirth and renewal. Our Savior reminds us, ‘Many are called, but few are chosen.’ Many find solace in almost tangible comforts or are rather enticed by them. The senses divert the mind and heart from the spiritual to the material, clouding the intellect and extinguishing faith, which serves as the soul's eyes to perceive the unseen and ignites a yearning for those things within the soul. Let us strive, dear friends, by God’s grace, not only to stand among the called but also to belong to the chosen."},{"author-name":"Abbot Panteleimon about the Trinity","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"What benefit does a person have if they gain the entirety of the world, with all its riches, accolades, and pleasures, yet jeopardize their own soul, rendering it unfit for eternal joy and subjecting it instead to everlasting death and torment in hell, distanced from God? \\"Consider this: if your servants are in complete satisfaction while you are in deep sorrow, what advantage is there in being their master? Assess the soul in the same manner: when the body revels in abundance, the soul is only approached with destined ruin\\" (St. John Chrysostom). OR WHAT DOES A PERSON GIVE IN EXCHANGE FOR HIS SPIRIT, HIS DIVINE ESSENCE in the life to come? \\"If you lose money, it can be shared with others; the same goes for a house, servants, and every other possession. But should you forfeit your soul, it cannot be given to another. Even if you possessed the entire world, or were sovereign over the universe, with the ability to offer up the cosmos, you still could not redeem a soul with the entirety of creation. If the soul endures misfortune, it mirrors what happens to the body. Even if you adorned yourself with a thousand crowns, if your body suffers from inherent illness that cannot be cured, all wealth would be of no help, even if you surrendered an entire kingdom. Therefore, consider the soul and exert even greater effort for its well-being, for the soul is our most treasured aspect. If the body flourishes while the soul languishes, such a state is futile. Just as it brings no advantage for a servant to thrive while their mistress suffers, so too do fine garments hold no benefit for an ailing body\\" (St. John Chrysostom). \\"The value of a human soul is equal to that of the Blood of the Son of God,\\" states St. Demetrius of Rostov, \\"for the holy Apostle teaches: ... you were not redeemed with perishable silver or gold ... but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a flawless and unblemished Lamb\\" (1 Pet. 1:18-19). When you assess the blood of the Son of God, you will also determine the worth of the soul; by reflecting on the incarnation of the Son of God, His wondrous acts, sufferings, crucifixion, and death, you will understand the value of the soul. Let everyone contemplate the worth that the Son of God attributes to human souls: greater than Heaven, surpassing the angels, beyond His Divine throne and the entire Heavenly Kingdom; for the sake of the soul, He left all that, not withholding anything for its redemption, laying down His life on the cross... Even though humanity faces temporal death, the soul is eternal and will exist for countless ages; what significance does this fleeting world hold in comparison, which lives today and perishes tomorrow? ... \\"What will it profit a person if they acquire the whole world and, as the Monk John the Lestwitchnik says, use it all, but destroy their soul through pride and vanity?\\" Thus, nothing weighs more heavily for man than the salvation of their soul. It is essential to always acknowledge that a day will come when the Lord will require an account: how did one live, and did they preserve their immortal soul, capable of eternal life?"},{"author-name":"Michail (Lusin)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c89550c567e172d15b3055_Michail%20(Lusin).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"To gain the entirety of the world signifies acquiring all its treasures, achieving every honor, and indulging in its pleasures. However, to damage one's soul is to render it incapable of experiencing eternal joy. Losing the capacity for bliss subjects the soul to eternal separation from God, resulting in rejection from His kingdom and consignment to damnation. What value is there to a person in such a scenario? Even if one possesses all worldly treasures, they will ultimately find unhappiness and perish. \\n\\nWhen the soul has been lost, what can be offered as a ransom? One cannot substitute another soul in the place of a lost soul. While it is possible to lose wealth and replace it, no equivalent can be found for a lost soul. Even if one were to rule over the entire universe, the wealth and dominion of creation would not suffice to redeem a soul that has been forfeited. This highlights the grave danger of intentionally destroying the soul through opposition to the Gospel."},{"author-name":"Ignatij (Briantchaninow)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88ce37597540c9caa5df5_Ignatij%20(Briantchaninow).png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The essence of humanity develops attributes that reflect its actions. Just as a mirror reveals the images of the objects in front of it, the soul bears marks based on its deeds and circumstances. In a lifeless mirror, the reflections vanish once the objects are taken away; however, in a conscious soul, the impressions persist. While these impressions can be removed and substituted with new ones, doing so demands effort and time. The marks that belong to the soul at the moment of its departure from this life will remain its own for eternity, serving as a testament to its ultimate joy or its unending sorrow."},{"author-name":"Gladkow B.I.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88bf0ceef8c96e09a6521_Gladkow%20B.I..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"What benefit is there for a person who, in the pursuit of wealth and influence, manages to obtain the entirety of the world, including all its riches, yet, in doing so, jeopardizes his own soul and subjects it to everlasting anguish in the life to come?"},{"author-name":"Lopuchin A.P.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c891400ee1341634d2276d_Lopuchin%20A.P..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Thus, He imparted His teachings to them, elucidating that the essence of all higher responsibilities and the significance of genuine life, which serves as the highest form of worship to God and stands as an exalted example for humanity, is rooted in the principle of self-denial. On this occasion, He uttered profound words that have significantly impacted the conscience of humanity, elevating their thoughts from the material realm to the spiritual: “What profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, but harms his own soul? Or what ransom shall a man give for his soul?” Furthermore, Christ once more revealed to them that He would also face judgment."}]}
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