March 18, 2024
Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. John 12:25 NRSV
Confession Time. Until last week, I was troubled and confused by the statement above by Jesus. It sounds rather existentialist – believing that humans have no fixed purpose given by God or nature. In essence, life is meaningless, so why try, what go on?
And then, I did what I should have done long ago. I checked the Greek. Unlike English, kione (Biblical Greek) uses two different words for “life.” The first two times life occurs in John 12:25, the Greek word is psyche, mental life, breath, inner life, or the seat of feelings. The third time the English word “life” is used, the Greek word is zoe spiritual life of deliverance from the proper penalty of sin, source of spiritual life, the life of the redeemed.
What comes to mind for me is the sense of shame I’ve lived with, needing to say, “I am sorry” for things well beyond my control. If you are waking up to winter temperatures after being tempted by spring temperatures for the past few days, I most likely would have said, “I’m sorry.”
Day-by-day and year-by-year, I am coming to understand and experience the love of God that is beyond understanding. I am living into that love. I am no longer responsible for the weather or the height of my sons, or the piece of furniture I bumped into and apologized to it. I am letting this go, not holding on.
Eugene Peterson’s The Message Translation puts it this way. Anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you’ll have it forever, real and eternal. ~ John 12:25 The Message
Please join me in living into that kind of life. It doesn’t stop with the last breath. ~ Anne
Wayfinding 