Daily Double: Markin MarkSample

Losing the World and Gaining Jesus

By Abi J

Today we witness some remarkable moments involving Jesus. The disciples, who had already seen Jesus perform many miracles, once again questioned him despite having fed five thousand with him before. In this event, we witness a hungry crowd and a compassionate Jesus. It's as if Jesus is hoping one of his disciples would remember his past faithfulness and trust that he could provide once more.

As the recount continues, the Pharisees challenge Jesus to show them a bigger sign, hinting that his previous miracles weren’t enough. Jesus responds by revealing his mission to suffer, die, and rise again. Peter, in a moment of misunderstanding, rebukes Jesus, prompting Jesus to correct him by pointing out his focus on temporary things and not eternal things.

Jesus then delivers some profound teachings on what it means to follow him, emphasizing the need of losing one's life for his sake and the Gospel. This means embracing a kind of death to our old ways to find true life in Christ.

What does this mean for us?

We must be willing to let go of certain aspects of our lives to fully live as God intended.

As followers of Jesus, we are called to live in this world but not be controlled by its values. This might involve sacrificing time spent on things like video games, excessive social media use, or distancing ourselves from unhealthy social circles and negative behaviors in search of acceptance.

Jesus doesn't expect perfection but a redirection of our hearts. By letting go of these things, we make room for God's blessings: trust for control, peace for anxiety, purity for pleasure, others for self, love for hate, contentment for jealousy, and joy for sadness.

God is faithful and won't ask us to give up something without offering something better in return. When we lose our lives for his sake, we discover the true life that he promises.

When Jesus said these words, he had you and me in mind. He knows how easy it is to conform to our world and how easy it is to lose our lives because of it. But he promises that when we lose our lives for his sake, we will find that which is truly life.

What does Jesus want you to lose from the world so you can gain Him more?