“For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it” (Matthew 16:25).
“Killing the Goose”Thestoryofthegoosethatlaidthegoldeneggmightwellbethebest-known ofAesop’sFables.Infact,itissopopularandcommendsitselftothemindwith suchreasonablewisdomthatithasgivenrisetotheidiom,“killingthegoosethat laidthegoldenegg.”Everyoneseemstorecognizeimmediatelytheimminently practical value of its moral.Thetalerelateshowafarmerfoundthathisgooselaidagoldeneggevery day.Hetooktheseeggstothemarketandwassoonbecomingrichbythem.However,itwasnotlongbeforehebecameimpatient thatthegoosewaslayingonlyoneeggaday.Hefelt thathewasnotgettingrichfastenough.Indeed,this feelinggrewtoconsumehismind.Hesoonbecame sogreedythathestartedtothinkofwaystomakethe gooselayeggsfaster,butevenwhenhefedthegoose allofthefinestgrainitcouldeat,itonlylaidforhim justoneeggaday.Inhisfrustration,thethought occurredtohimthatinsidethegooselayalltheeggs shehad.Ifonlyhekilledherandcutheropen,he couldhaveallhereggsatonceandbecomean immenselywealthyman.Thisideasoseizedhimthat hedeterminedtocarryitout.So,hetookaknifeand slitthegoose’sthroatandcutopenherbody.Yet, notevenhismostthoroughsearchrevealedasingle goldenegg,andnow,eventhegoosewasdead,never again to lay another golden egg.Themoralisobviousandcommendsitselftocommonsense:greedand discontentmentcansooverwhelmtheheartthattheydrivepeopletofoolishacts whichcausethem,notonlythelossofthewealththeyalreadyenjoy,butdeprive themofanyfurtherhopeofmore.Thelustforeverythingleavesthemlacking everything.Lyingatthecenterofthisstoryisaprincipleoftencalled“delayed gratification.”Itcounselsdeferringimmediatesatisfactionofdesiresinorderto enjoy a better satisfaction later.Thisideaalsoliesattheveryheartofthegospel.Indeed,thestoryofthe goosethatlaidthegoldeneggsillustratesitwell.Worldlypeoplehavethesense thattheirlivesaretobespentingettingthemostoutofthemasfastastheycanto satisfytheirphysicaldesiresandpleasures.Tothem,thisisthetotalityand meaningoflife.Thisisitspurpose.Thisiswhytheylive.So,theyuseuptheirlives forthemomentarypleasurestheycangetoutofthem,whiletheyshouldbeusing themtocreateagreater,eternaltreasureforthemselves.ItwassaidofMosesthat hechose“toendureill-treatmentwiththepeopleofGod,thantoenjoythepassing pleasuresofsin;consideringthereproachofChristgreaterrichesthanthe treasuresofEgypt;forhewaslookingtothereward”(Heb.11:24-26).Peopleneedto usetheassetswithwhichGodcreatedthemtogainthesalvationoftheirsouls, whichistheonlyassetultimatelyworthhaving.Yet,thediscontentmentwith what they have makes them greedy and impatient for immediate physical gratification. This,inturn,drivesthemtosacrificewhattheydohaveinthefutilequestfor more.Intheend,theironictragedyisthattheycouldhavehadsomuchmore forever had they just been content with what they had for a while.ThefactthatGodhasmadehumansinHisimage(Gen.1:26,27)meanstheyhave soulswhichgivethemspiritualcomprehensionandasenseoftheirvalue.Therefore,theycanknowthatsomethingsomuchgreaterlieswithintheirgrasp,if theywillusetheirGod-givenwillandintelligencetoforegothetawdrytrinkets offeredbytheworldtopleasethemselvesduringtheirshorttimeonearthand, instead,“takeholdofthatwhichislifeindeed”(1Tim.6:19).Otherwise,thosewho usetheirearthlylivesmerelyforthesensualjoystheyofferaremerely“killingthe goose” and losing all its golden eggs in the process.GOOSE AND GOLDEN EGG IMAGE BY PETER CORBETT - FLICKR PHOTOSTREAM
“For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it” (Matthew 16:25).
“Killing the Goose”Thestoryofthegoosethatlaidthegoldeneggmight wellbethebest-knownofAesop’sFables.Infact,itisso popularandcommendsitselftothemindwithsuch reasonablewisdomthatithasgivenrisetotheidiom,“killing thegoosethatlaidthegoldenegg.”Everyoneseemsto recognizeimmediatelytheimminentlypracticalvalueofits moral.Thetalerelateshowafarmerfoundthathisgooselaid agoldeneggeveryday.Hetooktheseeggstothemarketand wassoonbecomingrichbythem.However,itwasnotlong beforehebecameimpatientthatthegoose waslayingonlyoneeggaday.Hefeltthat hewasnotgettingrichfastenough.Indeed,thisfeelinggrewtoconsumehis mind.Hesoonbecamesogreedythathe startedtothinkofwaystomakethegoose layeggsfaster,butevenwhenhefedthe gooseallofthefinestgrainitcouldeat, itonlylaidforhimjustoneeggaday.In hisfrustration,thethoughtoccurredto himthatinsidethegooselayalltheeggs shehad.Ifonlyhekilledherandcutheropen,hecouldhave allhereggsatonceandbecomeanimmenselywealthyman.Thisideasoseizedhimthathedeterminedtocarryitout.So, hetookaknifeandslitthegoose’sthroatandcutopenher body.Yet,notevenhismostthoroughsearchrevealeda singlegoldenegg,andnow,eventhegoosewasdead,never again to lay another golden egg.Themoralisobviousandcommendsitselftocommon sense:greedanddiscontentmentcansooverwhelmtheheart thattheydrivepeopletofoolishactswhichcausethem,not onlythelossofthewealththeyalreadyenjoy,butdeprive themofanyfurtherhopeofmore.Thelustforeverything leaves them lacking everything.Lyingatthecenterofthisstoryisaprincipleoften called“delayedgratification.”Itcounselsdeferringimmediate satisfactionofdesiresinordertoenjoyabettersatisfaction later.Thisideaalsoliesattheveryheartofthegospel.Indeed,thestoryofthegoosethatlaidthegoldeneggs illustratesitwell.Worldlypeoplehavethesensethattheir livesaretobespentingettingthemostoutofthemasfastas theycantosatisfytheirphysicaldesiresandpleasures.To them,thisisthetotalityandmeaningoflife.Thisisits purpose.Thisiswhytheylive.So,theyuseuptheirlivesfor themomentarypleasurestheycangetoutofthem,whilethey shouldbeusingthemtocreateagreater,eternaltreasurefor themselves.ItwassaidofMosesthathechose“toendureill-treatmentwiththepeopleofGod,thantoenjoythepassing pleasuresofsin;consideringthereproachofChristgreater richesthanthetreasuresofEgypt;forhewaslookingtothe reward”(Heb.11:24-26).Peopleneedtousetheassetswith whichGodcreatedthemtogainthesalvationoftheirsouls, whichistheonlyassetultimatelyworthhaving.Yet,the discontentmentwithwhattheyhavemakesthemgreedyand impatientforimmediatephysicalgratification.This,inturn, drivesthemtosacrificewhattheydohaveinthefutilequest formore.Intheend,theironictragedyisthattheycouldhave hadsomuchmoreforeverhadtheyjustbeencontentwith what they had for a while.ThefactthatGodhasmadehumansinHisimage(Gen. 1:26,27)meanstheyhavesoulswhichgivethemspiritual comprehensionandasenseoftheirvalue.Therefore,theycan knowthatsomethingsomuchgreaterlieswithintheirgrasp, iftheywillusetheirGod-givenwillandintelligencetoforego thetawdrytrinketsofferedbytheworldtopleasethemselves duringtheirshorttimeonearthand,instead,“takeholdof thatwhichislifeindeed”(1Tim.6:19).Otherwise,thosewho usetheirearthlylivesmerelyforthesensualjoystheyoffer aremerely“killingthegoose”andlosingallitsgoldeneggsin the process.GOOSE AND GOLDEN EGG IMAGE BY PETER CORBETT - FLICKR PHOTOSTREAM