Matthew 16:21-28 (NLT)
21 From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead.
22 But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him[k] for saying such things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!”
23 Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. 25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?[l] Is anything worth more than your soul? 27 For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds. 28 And I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.”
Reflection:
This is always a difficult passage to read and take in. It doesn’t seem to make sense that one has to give up one’s life to save it. Not even Peter, who had spent so much time with Jesus, could understand this. But this is how the Kingdom of God works - it is backwards from what we expect. The incredible promise is that as we lay down our lives in faith to follow Jesus, He gives them back to us as we experience what life is truly supposed to be like.
Jesus not only spoke this truth; He lived it out. He lay down His own life and experienced a painful death so He could be literally raised up and live the life that was set before Him.
Responding to the Transmitted message:
Let’s live our lives not from a human point of view but from God’s point of view where we recognize that true life isn’t hanging onto our life in this world, but holding on to our life in Christ.
Ask God to help you see ways in which you can lay your life down to serve Him. Proclaim in faith that you will experience life as it was meant to be lived as you do this.
