Matthew the apostle shared how Jesus told His disciples, “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that takes not his cross, and follows after me, is not worthy of me”, and in chapter ten and verse thirty-nine of his book, Matthew shared how Jesus told His disciples, “he that loses his life for my sake shall find it” where we read:
He that finds his life shall lose it: and he that loses his life for my sake shall find it.
The verse reads, “He that finds his life shall lose it:” Matthew began with the words, “he that finds” which means “the person whether male or female who discovers, learns about, understands, recognizes and detects” “his life” or “the person's seat of the feelings, desires, affections and aversions” “shall lose it” which means “will render useless, abolish, put to an end and ruin the person's life”. Matthew shared how Jesus told His disciples about the person who “clings to, adheres and holds on tightly” to their own “life” will certainly have it “rendered useless and ruined”.
The verse goes on to say, “and he that loses his life for my sake shall find it.” Matthew continues with the words, “and he that loses” which means “and the person who renders useless, abolishes, puts to an end and ruins” “his life” or “the person's own seat of the feelings, desires, affections and aversions” “for my sake” which means “on behalf of and for the cause of Jesus' cause and account” “shall find it” or “will discover, learn about, understand, recognize and detect their life”. Matthew shared how Jesus told His disciples the person who does not “cling to, adhere to and hold on tightly” to their own “life” on account of Jesus will “discover, learn about, understand, recognize and detect” their own “life”.
When we meditate upon Matthew's words in this verse, we see how “losing” one's “life” is important to the relationship with Jesus and their own “life”. When a disciple of Jesus “loses” their own interests for the sake of Jesus and His kingdom, their “life” truly is not their own. As Paul the apostle wrote in his letter to the Galatians, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20) Those who are wise shall “lose” themselves for Jesus Christ's sake, and when they do, they shall “find” themselves in a greater way than they have ever known before.
Next time Matthew shares how Jesus told His disciples, “he that receives you, receives me”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
“Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the
marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the
Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
No comments:
Post a Comment