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There once was an extremely wealthy man who lived in a large mansion with only his pet poodle and his servants.
One night he became hungry, and not wanting to wake his servants, he went to the mansion's palatial kitchen and put a bowl of soup in the microwave.
While he was watching the seconds click down
it struck him that he was like this microwave: his life was running out of seconds.
From that day on, he was plagued by the fear of dying.
The desire to live forever became an obsession.
The man said to himself, "I've never had a problem that money couldn't solve."
"I'll sponsor a contest and offer an enormous prize to the person who can tell me how I can live forever."
He advertised the contest widely, hoping to attract the world's brightest minds.
But on the day of judging, only three contestants appeared.
The wealthy man got up from the desk where he had been managing his investments and greeted the first contestant, a short fellow with a rather disheveled appearance. "What is your idea?" he asked the fellow. "How can you help me live forever?"
"I am a prize-winning scientist," replied the contestant. "My specialty is cryogenics. That's the study of how materials behave at extremely low temperatures."
"I know what cryogenics is!" snapped the wealthy man. "How can that help me?"
Overlooking the wealthy man's rudeness, the scientist answered, "Immediately after you die, I will have your body frozen to a temperature near absolute zero. It will cease to age, and sometime in the future when science discovers how to restore life, your body will be unfrozen, and you will live forever."
"Your idea leaves me cold," said the wealthy man.
He summoned the next contestant. A middle-aged man in a flannel shirt and overalls entered the study. He introduced himself as a world-famous inventor. "How can you help me live forever?" inquired the wealthy man.
"I will have a rocket ship built for you that will propel you into space," the inventor answered. "You will travel at such a high speed that you will escape not only the gravitational pull of the earth, but also the chronological pull of time. This will allow you to live forever."
"This sounds interesting," said the wealthy man. "How do we proceed?"
"Give me access to your bank account, and I will hire scores of the brightest scientists and engineers to work on this project," replied the inventor. "When the rocket ship is built, it will propel you into space. All your body functions will slow down, so you don't need food or drink. You will go on and on forever without dying."
"Money is no problem," said the wealthy man. "Can I take my poodle?"
"The capsule will be too small for passengers," replied the inventor. "You must go alone."
"Let me see if I understand," said the wealthy man. "I will be traveling through space forever and ever with only my own thoughts."
"That sounds like hell. I'll need to think about this."
He dismissed the inventor and summoned the last contestant.
A young boy entered the room. "I read about your contest, and I just want to give you this book as a gift," he said, handing the man a Bible. "I suggest that you start reading where I have marked in the gospel of John."
"I already have a Bible around here someplace," said the wealthy man. "Just put that one on the table." He sent the boy on his way.
The wealthy man sat down in his lounge chair and picked up the Bible that the boy had given him.
He turned to the page the boy had marked and read John 11:25-26:
"I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die."John 11:25-26
"This is telling me that I can live forever simply by believing in Jesus," the wealthy man said to himself. "That's too simple. There must be a catch." He continued reading. When he came to John 12:25, he read,
"Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life."John 12:25
"So, that's the catch!" the wealthy man exclaimed. "To live forever, I must give up my life. But I want to keep my life, not lose it."
The wealthy man rested the Bible on his lap. It had been a discouraging day. He couldn't decide whether to keep reading or get back to managing his investments.
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.John 5:24
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.Matthew 6:19-21
For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.2 Corinthians 4:18
Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.Matthew 19:24
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