Losing And Finding (Matthew 16:25)

 


Thursday, 23 October, 2025


Psalms 124; 125; 126

2 Kings 7:3-20

Matthew 16:13-28


Observance: James of Jerusalem, brother of our Lord, martyr (d. c. 62)


Losing And Finding (Matthew 16:25)


[Jesus said] “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”


What a whirlwind poor old St Peter goes through in these few short verses! He is on top of the world, the rock against which the gates of hell will nor prevail; then he is a stumbling block, no less than Satan.


In various parts of the wider church, these words of Jesus about binding and loosing have come to mean many different things. You may have come across teachings about them yourself. But whatever it means, it relies on the final of today’s three sections of the second lesson.


One must never get a big head. One must be willing to lose their head. In fact, one must consider their head (and the rest of them) as nothing – we must deny ourselves in order to follow the Lord Jesus.


Perhaps St Peter, after hearing that Jesus had given him authority to bind and loose on both heaven and earth, thought he would use this newly-given power to save Jesus from the cross. Whatever his intentions, Jesus has to shut down that line of thinking immediately. There can never be enough humility before the Lord, especially in the midst of the wonderful privileges he grants to us.


What spiritual authority do you read Jesus giving you as you read the Bible? How can you cultivate the fruit of humility in order to use that authority correctly?


Jesus our crucified Saviour and Lord: through your death and resurrection you have opened to us the gate of heaven, and by your example of life you have taught us how to live humbly before God. Grant us an increase of humility, that we may learn that in losing our lives for your sake, we will find our true life.

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