Dear Christian friends,

I think most of you know about the parakeet, which is a pet bird you can teach to talk. But I wonder if you know about the paradox. What is a paradox? The paradox is not a bird or an animal, and it is not a box or anything like that. The paradox is a statement, a kind of sentence that seems to be contradictory, but nevertheless is true. Let me give you an example. St. Paul said, "When I am weak, then am I strong." (2 Cor.12:10) Here Paul seems to contradict himself, and to say a lie. We ask, "How can a weak person be strong?" If you are not a Christian you will not understand this paradox (contradictory saying). But the Christian should understand if the Christian knows what God said to Paul before Paul said this paradox. Paul had been weak with a certain sickness, and he prayed to God to be healed. But God refused to heal him and God explained to him, "My grace is sufficient for you: for My strength is made perfect in weakness." (2 Cor. 12:7-9) That is true, and we see it often in Christians who have weak bodies, but strong faith and spirit.

In our text Jesus says two important paradoxes to His disciples. They are the two great paradoxes of life. Everyone should know that and give attention to them, Your soul depends on knowing them.

We read these two great paradoxes in verse 25 of our text. Jesus said to His disciples: "Whoever wants to save his life shall lose it: and who- ever wants to lose his life for Me shall save it."

Let's look carefully now at the first paradox. Jesus warns, "Whoever wants to save his life shall lose it." (25a) Jesus seems to contradict Himself here, What does Jesus mean? Is it wrong when someone wants to keep and save his life? Today people spend much time and money to have and keep their health. We spend money for good and right foods. We spend money for doctors and dentists. Many spend much time exercising, running or jogging. We don't want to become sick and lose our life. We want to have a healthy, comfortable, good and long life. Is that desire wrong? NO! That is a natural desire and God wants us to be careful and protect our health and our life. God doesn't want us to be careless or reckless, Well, what does Jesus mean here when He says, "Whoever wants to save his life shall lose it?"

Jesus means those people who are selfish and do not want to share with the poor and needy. Jesus means those people who live only for themselves and for their good times and pleasures. Jesus means those people who re- fuse to risk their life to be a policeman, or a fireman or a soldier. Jesus means those church members who join the church and just come to church and sit and never help support the church or help do the church work. Jesus means those people who do not really love God or their neighbors. Jesus means those people who always want to save their money and save their time and save their life so they can have a good life and lots of pleasures. Jesus told the story about the rich man and poor Lazarus. The rich man had fine clothes, lived in a beautiful house, had many servants and banquets every day. Lazarus with sores was brought and laid at his gate begging. The rich man refused to help poor Lazarus. When the rich man died he went to hell. (Luke 16:19-23) That's what Jesus means when He says, "Whoever wants to save his life shall lose it." You perhaps can save your life and keep it here on earth and have a good time and lots of pleasures, but you can lose it in hell. That is Jesus' warning to all of us with this first paradox. Let us think about it and be sorry and confess our sins.

Then let us look carefully at the second paradox, which is opposite the first. Jesus says, "Whoever wants to lose his life for Me shall save it." Who wants to lose his life? Do you? Do I? No! We don't want to lose our life. That is against our nature. Our nature is to save and protect our life and keep it as long as we can. Our nature is to be selfish and keep and improve our own life even if we must hurt or destroy someone else's life. That is why we often cheat, steal, rob and kill or refuse to help the hungry, the poor and the needy.

Who can help us? Who can change our selfish, natural heart and make us willing to lose our life to help our neighbor? Only Jesus can help us. Notice that Jesus says, "Whoever loses his life for Me." We should lose our life for Jesus' sake. This a Christian wants to do. Why? Because Jesus first lost His life for us. Jesus gave up His life for us on the cross. (v. 21) Now we gladly give up our life for Him, loving Him and serving Him and our neighbor. Jesus helps us to turn away from the old selfish life and take up the new life pleasing to Him. St. Paul says it very clearly and beautifully: "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me." (Galatians 2:20)

Only Jesus can help us give up the old life and take up the new life. Therefore we must daily look to Jesus for help. Daily confess that we are sinners and selfish. Daily look to Jesus on the cross for His love, mercy and forgiveness. Daily with His help try to live the new life serving God and our neighbor. In this way we lose our life for Jesus and save it for eternal life in heaven.

So give attention to these two great paradoxes of Jesus': "Whoever wants to save his life shall lose it; and whoever wants to lose his life for Me shall save it.

AMEN