December 28, 2007
READ: Matthew 16:21-28
Whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. Matthew 16:25
Western Michigan is plagued by snowy winters, requiring that salt be put on road surfaces to make them safer to travel. The problem is that salt eats away at a cars metal body. So, going to a car wash is a frequent winter ritual.
Recently I was sitting in a car-wash facility near the end of the washing process when the machines began to spray a special liquid all over the car. The sign said it was a drying agent, but that struck me as odd. Wetting something down to dry it seems contrary to what youd expect. Yet that is precisely what those chemicals are designed to do. It is counter-intuitive thinkinga paradox.
Jesus also dealt in counter-intuitive thinking when presenting His kingdom message to His followers. In Matthew 16:25, He said, Whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. That doesnt sound right. To save your life, you have to lose it? That seems like saying, To dry something, you wet it down! Yet, it is absolutely true. Only as we die to self, entrusting ownership of our lives to Christ, can we learn what it means to really live.
Dying to live may seem counter-intuitive, but it is the heart of the Christian experience.
Good Morning Mayor. Appreciate the Daily message.
Thank you, Mr. Mayor for today’s lesson and reading in Matthew. We appreciate you!!