Holding Too Tightly
Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, my servant will also be. (John 12:25-26)
Rabbinic hyperbole was a form of teaching Jesus often made use of. An extreme statement is made to underscore a point and drive the message home to the hearers. Jesus never intended for any of his hearers to cut off their right hands or pluck out their right eyes to avoid sinning. Neither did he want his followers to be miserable human beings who hated their lives. After all, this is the one who came to give us abundant or full life. (John 10:10)
So what is Jesus saying in these verses? The key phrase unlocking the meaning of the passage is “follow me.” When coupled with Jesus’s call to “repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” we begin to understand what our Lord is saying.
The word “repent” literally means to “change one’s mind or way of thinking.” As translated in the Greek New Testament it speaks of a progressive, ongoing change in how we view our lives and world.
When we choose to follow Jesus, we commit ourselves to lives of constant, ongoing change. And let’s be clear about something - following Jesus implies that we will not remain in one place but will be constantly on the move, following our Lord as he leads us to green pastures and still waters, in paths of righteousness, and through valleys of death.
Ongoing change marks the life of those who seek to follow Jesus. And that’s the problem. Change isn’t easy. In fact, most people prefer to settle down in their little comfort zones, and when changes come they fight tooth and nail against them.
In light of this, we are able to understand what Jesus is saying in this passage. When we hold too tightly to our life as it is, resisting any and all change, we are setting ourselves up for failure. It’s just a matter of time before we lose what we already have.
Full life, abundant life, God-life is experienced by those who refuse to cling too tightly to settled, comfortable, habit-filled lives that, in time, grow stale and lifeless.
In Christ,
Dan
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