GREAT THINGS ENTERPRISE
CLAUDE BLACK
Mark 8:37
The Short Stick
A few decades ago, it was illegal for a driver to add fuel to his gas tank. One had to pull up to the pump and wait for an attendant to pump in the fuel. The attendant would ask if he could check the oil, for automobile engines were notorious for using or leaking oil. Many attendants would draw out the dipstick, wipe it, insert it back into the dipstick tube, and show it to the driver. In order to sell more oil, an attendant would place his thumb on the top of the dipstick when he inserted it back into the tube, so when he withdrew the dipstick, it appeared that the engine was low on oil. The process was known as the “short stick.” It was a deceptive practice that distorted value.
In an era when grocery stores had butchers, customers would order their meat by the pound. The butcher would then slice the meat from a large tube or select a particular piece of meat and place it on the scale. Customers had to watch that the butcher didn’t put his thumb on the scale to distort the weight value.
In 2022, a shopper filed a lawsuit on behalf of himself and others, claiming that Walmart displayed one price on shelves but charged a higher price at checkout. The suit describes this as a “classic” bait-and-switch scheme—the “bait” being the lower shelf price, the “switch” being the higher price actually charged. While pricing mismatches can happen accidentally, the lawsuit contends that the pattern and scale of the practice show a systematic issue—a distortion of value.
When Jesus talked to his audience about the demands of discipleship, he said that anyone who would become his disciple must lay aside all other commitments, take up his duties—his cross—and follow him; it must be an “all-in” commitment. It is likely that many turned away at the thought of such costly discipleship, for Jesus said, “For what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8:37)
There are some who offer knowledge in exchange for their soul, claiming that they’re too smart to yield to a two-thousand-year-old teaching—a distortion of value. Others exchange riches for their soul, seeking wealth rather than Christ. Still others exchange popularity for their soul, seeking fame at the expense of integrity—a distortion of value.
Commenting on Jesus’ terse statement, Bishop Edward H. Bickersteth wrote, “The Greek term here means an ‘equivalent,’ ‘a compensation.’ The ‘life,’ in its largest sense and meaning, defies all comparison, surpasses all value. It has been bought and redeemed with the precious blood of Christ; therefore, the whole world would be a poor price for the soul of one man.”
Jesus’ question is as relevant now as when he made it. Consider it.
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