Luke 9:24-25 24For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 25For what does it profit a person if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?
Jesus next expands on the ideas of verse 23 and shows the level of commitment required of his disciples. The cost is high but not difficult because paying the price brings the greatest peace, security, and hope. Jesus gives several paradoxes. The point is simple but challenges the fundamental values of the world. The typical behavior of humans is to do everything they can to preserve their lives. With the bent towards selfishness, pride, and fulfilling the deceived fleshly desires, people often hurt others in order to prolong their life or make it more pleasant. The victims of the world are victimized because someone else is seeking to save his or her life to one degree or another.
It is losing one’s life to Jesus that one really finds the meaning of life. There is a qualitative difference in the life of a committed Christian compared to a non-Christian. This quality is not necessarily seen in material possessions but inwardly with love, joy, peace, and hope. But Jesus’ statement goes beyond a pleasant and fulfilled life on earth but even more significantly includes life eternal. The word for life (psychēn) can also be translated as “soul” and represents our essential person and being. The new life in verse 24 is life in God’s kingdom. We begin participating in this eternal life now as it penetrates our thinking and behavior. Even as we struggle against the forces of evil and the temptations of the world, we can find victory and have assurance.
In verse 25, Jesus illustrates the challenge of humanistic or earthly thinking. Materialism is a major disease of our time, with the ability to buy just about anything from anywhere in the world. New inventions and technology make life much more pleasant than in the old days. But all this new stuff comes with a price. The greatest price to be paid is the loss of focus on eternal matters. People are blinded into thinking that this life is all there is, so eat, drink, and be merry. Make this life the best you can. This way of thinking promises fulfillment but leaves emptiness and a desire for more. Humanism and materialism leave a person empty and without eternal hope.
The promises of the world can never take care of the deep inner challenges that result from being away from God and God’s will. We must look at our existence first from the perspective of eternity. Beginning with God’s plan for us by trusting in salvation through Jesus, we can then make better sense of all the rest of our life. Putting him as first priority put everything else in its proper place.
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