«But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ» (Philippians 3:7).
WHAT OBJECT, IF YOU LOST IT, would make you the saddest person in this world; and what thing, if you finally attained it, would make you the happiest? The answer, according to Fulton J. Sheen, is your master value. A master value gives life meaning and purpose; it guides our decisions and leads to our actions. In short, it is what we love most, whether it is worthwhile or not.
What would you say is your master value? Whether you can name it or not, you have one. We all have one. And how valuable is it? Is it worthwhile to invest time and energy to acquire that which you love so much? The story of two Bible characters will help us understand this matter.
What was, for instance, the master value of Ahab, King of Israel? To find that out, it is sufficient to wonder: What would have made him the saddest person in this world if he did not have it, and the happiest person if he did have it? Naboth’s vineyard.
Even though he owned many riches, Ahab «fell in love» with Naboth’s vineyard. In his quest to possess it, he offered to buy it, but Naboth refused to sell it by claiming it was his parents’ inheritance. Feeling «sullen and displeased» (1 Kings 21:4), Ahab went back home, and even lost his appetite. When he told Jezebel what had happened, the wicked queen bribed false witnesses and managed to get Naboth killed by having him accused of blasphemy. Soon after, Ahab took possession of the coveted vineyard. And with his new «toy» in hand, good-bye sadness! Except that his happiness did not last long because «in the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth» they also licked his blood (v. 19; cf. ch. 22:29—38).
The experience of Saul of Tarsus was vastly different! For some time, his master value had to do with his lineage: he was a member «of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews» (Philippians 3: 5, NIV). But when he encountered Jesus’s love, what he had valued before became like trash, «because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.»
The way these two men ended up is very interesting! Ahab valued material possessions «to death.» And the same could almost be said of the way Saul loved his Hebrew roots, until one fine day, on his way to Damascus, he ran into the Risen Christ, whom he persecuted, and then everything changed! Saul became the apostle Paul.
Which of the two will receive the crown of life? The apostle Paul: and not only him, but you and I will also receive it if we count everything of worldly value as loss for our love of Christ.
Holy Spirit, please remove from my life any affection that competes with
«the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.»
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Taken from: Devotional Readings for Adults 2022
“GREAT IS OUR GOD!”
From: FERNANDO ZABALA
Collaborators: Xiomara Perdomo & Angelica Cuate
