"The one who saves his life will lose it. The one who loses his life will save it."
Once again, I'm struck by Jesus' total disregard for religious pleasantries. It's not hard to see why many people hated and feared him. His presence was like rigor mortis to control freaks of any and all degree--I've spent enough time on the control bandwagon to know. Only by abandoning self-righteousness could you make friends with Jesus.
Christ had a word for safe and miserly living: Death. And he had a word for trusting and risky obedience: Life. He interrogated those around him with his words and by his very presence:
Is your life so worthless that you clutch it so tightly? Your white-knuckle grip reveals your beggarly soul.
Pry open your clenched fists and give yourself to God. Only God can save a life. Maybe some of those watching told themselves that Jesus was just putting on a good show. Perhaps they saw this strong, authoritative, unflinching man, and called his freedom "autonomy," eager to write him off. Of course, they were wrong.
On Good Friday, Jesus was about to remove that escape as well. He would leave no doubt that Death comes before Life as Winter precedes the Spring.
Friday, April 06, 2007
Life, Death & Jesus
Subscribe to:
or 
or
2 comments:
This is the most beautiful of seasons, but the next coming 3 days are both terrible reminders of how evil man can be. Thanks be to Jesus that we may live.
"On Good Friday, Jesus was about to remove that escape as well. He would leave no doubt that Death comes before Life as Winter precedes the Spring."
That is very encouraging to me. This post and the previous resonated with me, as I feel the groans of death in my body.
Post a Comment