For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”

Fresh off of laying down the daily steps to follow Jesus, he adds to this some examples: First, he says that if you want to save your current life, while following him, you will lose it. But if you lose your current life for following Jesus, you will gain true life! This is such an important point. Our lives “before Jesus” are based on a worldly merit system. We perform and typically seek approval or attention from those around us. The world system tells us what is important, and we, like sheep, typically follow this “conventional wisdom”.

But Jesus was turning this world system and its conventional wisdom on its head. He introduced a new system of life: not based on our merits, but based on 1) his sacrifice and 2) through redemption, a personal relationship with him. He is the source of truth and life, and his people shine as a bright light by following him. Second, he says that if you focus on gaining all of the things this world has to offer, in the end you will lose your soul. You will become a greedy, self-loving, and cutthroat and/or a brutal person. You will have a diminished capacity for compassion, grace, mercy, and love for your fellow man. You will die in your sins.

And finally, he says if you are ashamed of Jesus, then he will be ashamed of you on the day of judgment, after this life is over. This does not just mean to speak poorly about Jesus; it means a) not speaking about his work in your life and giving him the credit, b) not standing for the truth in his Word and his name, and c) not caring enough about others to challenge them to seek after Jesus, though it may cost you everything this world has to offer.

Lord, teach me to lay down the things that this world offers and pick up the gifts you give … and open and use them. Life lived in using your gifts, O Lord, is a life fulfilled in the purpose I was designed for.