«WE CAN CARRY NOTHING OUT»
«Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out» (1 Timothy 6:6, 7).
SEVERAL YEARS AGO, at a graveyard in the city of Pella, capital of the Macedonian Kingdom, archaeologists found a large number of soldiers’ tombs. According to a report from the director of excavation, archaeologist Paulos Chrysostomou, thousands of tombs have been discovered at that site.
One of the most interesting ones is the tomb that held the body of a warrior from the sixth century BC. The soldier had been dressed in costly funeral attire, including a bronze helmet, a gold shield, weapons, gold and silver jewelry, swords, spears, jars . . . According to Historia National Geographic magazine, over his mouth, eyes, and chest «they found gold sheets beautifully decorated with figures of lions, symbolizing royal strength and power.»
Taking one’s jewels and belongings to the tomb was a popular custom among ancient Egyptians and Romans. Behind such a practice lay the belief that the dead would need those resources to pay for their journey in the afterlife; but those possessions were actually no good to them in their posthumous journey, and today they are relics exhibited in the most prominent museums.
How true Paul’s words were: «Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out» (I Timothy 6:6, 7). Other Bible authors had already stated the same idea: «Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there» (Job 1:21). «For when he dies he shall carry nothing away» (Psalm 49:17). It all points to something obvious we can’t keep overlooking: Nothing on this earth—whether fortune, reputation, or glory—can go with us when we are to be buried.
While our material possessions will not be useful to us at death (as in the case of the Macedonian warrior’s possessions), Paul tells us that «godliness with contentment is great gain» (1 Timothy 6:6). «Godliness» refers to a life devoted to the things of God, to living soberly and righteously.
If we live a godly life, although our possessions will remain behind, the Lord will take us with Him when He comes again.
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Taken from: Devotional Readings for Adults 2023
“I AM WITH YOU”
From: J. VLADIMIR POLANCO
Collaborators: Lorina Maya & Angelica Cuate