The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
Jesus here expresses a principle that is so critical to the Christian faith that our lives depend upon it. It is not only repeated in all of the other gospels, but is done so more than once! (Mat 10:39, 16:25, Mark 8:35, Luke 9:24, 17:33). It was so important to Jesus that He said it on more than one occasion and it is so important to God for us to know and practice it that He had it recorded in His Word no less than 6 times!
Matthew 10:39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
Matthew 16:25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.
Mark 8:35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.
Luke 9:24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.
Luke 17:33 Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.
Jesus has probably just come from observing the poor widow giving to God all that she had to live on (Luke 21:1-4). How much of our lives does God want? Notice that real giving is painful and costs you quite a bit.
Luke 21:1-4 As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “I tell you the truth,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
There is another story of a widow recorded in (1 Kings 17:7-16). There God gives an unending supply to meet the widow’s needs, but note that she had to first give in faith so she could receive. She did not give in order to receive, she gave in obedience to the word of the Lord. God often asks us to give our very last bit, but when we do, we find that He will indeed take care of us and meet all of our needs. The important thing to God is not what we do but why we do it. What do you think was the attitude of the widow’s heart when she obeyed?
1 Kings 17:7-16 Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. Then the word of the LORD came to him: “Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food.” So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.” “As surely as the LORD your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it— and die.” Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land.’” She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the LORD spoken by Elijah.
In (Matt 10:37-38) Jesus is recorded as having made a rather bold statement (nothing unusual about that!) What do these verses say about priorities? What does Jesus mean when He says that we must take our crosses and follow Him?
Matthew 10:37-38 “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
What does (Matt 13:44-46) say about priorities? Note that Jesus says in both of these parables that when the Kingdom of Heaven is found, the finder sells everything to get it. How does this apply to us?
Matthew 13:44-46 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
Our attitude as servants of God is outlined in (Luke 17:7-10). We are to say, “I am only doing what I am supposed to do.” Jesus gave us the perfect example of a servant when He washed the disciples’ feet, the job normally performed by the lowest of the servants in the house (John 13:3-17).
Luke 17:7-10 “Suppose one of you had a servant ploughing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? Would he not rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”
To serve the Lord, we must follow Him and do what He has done. One of the things He did was to die. How are we to follow Him in this respect? (Luke 9:23-24, 17:33) In our verse in John, Jesus said that we are to even “hate” this life. What does He mean by this?
Luke 9:23-24 Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.
Luke 17:33 Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.
McClymont comments that the word “life” as used here denotes “the natural life of man, with all its appetites, desires, and affections, which seek their gratification irrespective of the will of God. The loving of this life is another name for the spirit of selfishness which is unwilling to spend or be spent for any higher object than self-enjoyment and self-aggrandisement, while the hating of it denotes that spirit of self-sacrifice which counts nothing in this world too dear to be given up in obedience to the Divine will.”
There have been many who have hated their lives in exactly the manner Jesus prescribed. There is an old saying that the blood of the martyrs was the seed of the church, but it still is today. The greatest problem the church has today is that its people do not take up their crosses and die to self. And yet, there are still many today who set us that good example – Mother Theresa is one that immediately comes to mind. Can you think of any examples from the Christians you know personally?
We need to have the same attitude as Jesus (1 Peter 4:1-11).
1 Peter 4:1-11 Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you. But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit. The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.