finding and losing one's life.
one day jesus called to him the twelve disciples whom he had chosen to be his special witnesses and instructed them in the business of their mission. amongst other things, jesus said to them, "he that findeth his life, shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for my sake, shall find it."
perhaps you may be surprised to know that this little saying has caused many people to wonder. or, perhaps, you may wonder yourself what jesus meant. why should a man who has found his life lose it? indeed, how can a man both find and lose his life at the same time? and how can a man who has lost his life find it? what does it mean to lose one's life, and to find one's life? undoubtedly, the answer to these questions must be of great importance to men.
in seeking for that answer, we must recall the fundamental purpose of the mission of jesus, and of his loving sacrifice for the salvation of the rest of father's children. jesus strove to teach men to know god, and, through his cruel death, to bring men back into the presence of god. all of jesus's teaching, therefore, was based upon the fact that the chief thing in a man's life is to recognize his divine right as a son of god, and to come into close, real, and constant touch with the father in heaven. but how shall a man come into such close touch with the almighty being who rules the universe?
the necessity of harmony.
{84} our lives upon the earth are full of illustrations of how necessary it is for us to put ourselves into perfect harmony with our environments when we wish to attain certain ends. if we wish to mingle with so-called society, we must conform to the artificial standards of society in dress, and manners, and speech, and many other things; otherwise, we become outcasts from society and are despised. or again, if we set up an apparatus for wireless telegraphy, we must, whether we like it or not, make all connections close and in proper way, and we must use the right kind of materials in both the transmitting and the receiving instruments; otherwise, we can neither send nor receive messages. if in the society of men, and in the application of the principles of science, it is so urgently necessary to observe the rules of society and the laws of science, it is very easy to understand that, if we would come into close and constant touch with god, we must observe also the laws of such divine communion. anything at all that might come between one and real communion with god would be disastrous. indeed, in the teaching of jesus, it would constitute the greatest sorrow, the greatest tragedy in human existence. since it is life eternal to know god, not to know him, not to find him, is loss eternal. although a man may prosper, then, in this life—although he may find his life, as it were, in this world—yet shall he lose it eternally, if he has not found god. if we stop now, and think this out clearly, we may understand very easily what jesus meant when he said to his disciples, "he {85} that findeth his life, shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for my sake, shall find it."
three forms of temptation.
we may now ask ourselves, what is likely to come between us and close touch with god, to prevent us from finding god, and thus to prevent us from gaining life eternal? you will recall what we have already learned about the temptation of jesus. the devil tempted jesus first through the physical, the bodily, appetites; then through the desire, the love of wordly praise; and lastly, through the love of worldly power and riches. it was these very forms of temptation that jesus feared might come between man and god. especially did he fear that the love of the praise of men might tempt people and bring about their destruction. so, as he taught one time those who followed him, he explained to them the right attitude in worship.
instruction in praying and alms-giving.
"take heed that ye do not your alms before men," said jesus, "to be seen of them; otherwise ye have no reward of your father which is in heaven. therefore, when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. verily i say unto you, they have their reward. but when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: that thine alms may be in secret: and thy father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
"and when thou prayest," said jesus further, "thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to {86} pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. verily i say unto you, they have their reward. but thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy father which is in secret; and thy father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly."
"moreover," continued jesus, touching the third conventional form of worship, "when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. verily i say unto you, they have their reward. but thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy father which is in secret: and thy father which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly."
the real value of worship.
now, it is not necessary to think that these sayings of jesus are to be taken literally. it is not absolutely necessary that, in order to pray in secret, one should retire to his chamber and shut the door, then pray; nor is it absolutely necessary that, in fasting, one should anoint one's head and wash one's face. jesus used these figures merely to portray a condition opposite to that assumed by the hypocrites. but jesus wanted to teach that the value of worship depends upon the motive that inspires it. if one gives alms to be seen of men and to be praised therefore, one's reward lies there in the praise one receives. god will bestow no other favor. likewise, those who pray and fast to be praised of men, get their reward in the worldly praise they receive. they have not found god. they {87} are not in real, vital touch with him. worldly ambitions have come between them and him. in gaining the life of this world they have lost life eternal. they have yielded to the temptation of mere ostentation and display. and this spirit has entered unfortunately, into the service of many churches. "obviously," says a noted student of the bible, "many of the elaborate forms and ceremonies which have developed in connection with the worship of the christian church are contrary to his (jesus's) spirit and teachings. only in so far as they lead the individual into closer personal touch with god are they justifiable or of real value."
humility and sincerity.
what then is the right attitude in worship? god himself has declared, you remember, that those who worship him must do so in spirit and in truth. the motive of worship is of more importance than the form. the value of worship lies in humility, in laying aside all worldly ambitions, in approaching close to god for the sole purpose of communing with him. it is better to lose one's worldly life in the service of god, than to gain that worldly life and fail to find god; for he who thus loses the worldly life, shall find life eternal.
"i give unto you these sayings," said jesus once to joseph the prophet, "that ye may understand and know how to worship, and know what you worship, that you may come unto the father in my name, and in due time receive of his fulness; for if you keep my commandments you shall receive of his fulness, and be glorified in me as i am in the father; therefore, i say unto you, you shall receive grace for grace."
{88} the references
matt. 10:39. matt. 6:5, 6.
matt. 6:1-4. matt. 6:16-18.
doc. and cov. 93:19, 20.
the questions
1. what did jesus mean by the saying "he that findeth his life shall lose it?"
2. what is the chief thing in a man's life?
3. show how it is necessary to put ourselves in harmony with our environments.
4. what is likely to come between us and close communion with god?
5. what is right attitude in worship?
6. wherein lies the value of worship?
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jesus praying, liska