For what does a man profit, if he should gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
The Lord has just told His disciples that He must suffer and die, and that following Him means taking up a cross. Against that background He weighs two things: the whole world on one side, a single soul on the other.
The language of trade
One writer points to where the Lord's words come from:
Our Lord uses the language of the merchant. He speaks of profit, loss, and exchange. He is thinking of a bargain. Suppose a man could get the whole world. To take it in exchange for a share in the glory that is to be revealed would be a bad bargain. He decides this for the comfort of the believer. Most people take Him to be settling the question of personal safety here. He is settling the question of profit and loss.
What "soul" means here
One writer ties this verse to the one just before it:
With all the gain men have made of things in this world, no one has yet gained the whole world. But our Lord says that if that were possible and someone lost his soul, what would it be worth in the end? This word "soul" is the same word translated "life" in verse 25, and I am persuaded it is the same thought as in that verse.
No price can buy it back
The second half of the verse asks what a man could hand over to get his soul back. One writer answers it from Psalm 49:
There is a striking word in Psalm 49: "Those who trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the abundance of their riches — none of them can by any means redeem his brother, or give to God a ransom for him. For the redemption of their soul is precious, and must be let alone for ever." That is the right rendering. No one could touch that matter. How it shows the value of the soul!
(That is the writer's own translation. The ESV reads: "Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life, for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice.")
A question left unanswered on purpose
The Lord asks and does not reply. That silence is itself the point:
The Lord closes here with an appeal to consider the soul's value. That appeal has rung through so many hearts since then. The question needs no answer: the impossibility of answering it is the answer.
Losses that can be recovered, and one that cannot
Other losses in life sting, but they are not final. This one is:
People mourn over losses in this life. Lost fortunes are often recovered and lost health regained, but the soul! Once lost, it is lost for ever.
Why the choice cannot be dodged
It came to this: if you spare the flesh in this life, you will lose your life in the next... It is giving up the world for eternal life, or for eternal misery, that is the real question. You must give it up; you cannot keep it.
The verse that answers the question
The next verse turns from loss to reward, and that ordering is deliberate:
In Matthew 16:27 He turns the eye of the one who would follow Him toward the future. He does this to stir up devotion in the pathway now. He says, "When the Son of Man comes in the glory of His Father, with His angels, then He will reward every man according to his works." What we have been for Christ now will determine the reward in that day.
Summary
- The bargain. The Lord talks business: profit, loss, exchange. His own verdict is that trading the world for the soul is a bad deal.
- The goods. "Soul" here is the same word as "life" in verse 25. What you would trade away is your own life.
- The price. Psalm 49 closes the account: no one can ransom another or pay God for a life. The buy-back price is beyond every fortune.
- The silence. He asks what a man could give in exchange and gives no answer. The impossibility of answering is the answer.
- The payday. The verse that follows moves the ledger to the day the Son of Man comes in His Father's glory. What you are for Christ now is what He rewards then.