Matthew 10:39 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

NIV: Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.

NASB: The one who has found his life will lose it, and the one who has lost his life on My account will find it.

CSB: Anyone who finds his life will lose it, and anyone who loses his life because of me will find it.

NLT: If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.

KJV: He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

NKJV: He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

Jesus has said a startling thing: Those who will not take up their cross and follow Him are not worthy of Him. He had not yet died on the cross, so the disciples would not have associated this with His death, at least not yet. Still, the cross was always about death. Jesus was teaching them to willingly participate in dying to themselves, freely giving up their own lives to follow His difficult path (Matthew 10:38).

Scripture teaches that Christ's path is the path to finding true life (John 10:10). Dying to self is about finding the best possible life, both on earth and especially in eternity. Some will refuse to believe in Jesus; they will not follow Him. Such people may find "their" lives: their own worldly definitions of success or achievement or getting what they want. In truth, though, they will lose "true" life. They will forfeit eternity. Whatever life they find in the here and now will come at the cost of losing the life that is abundant forever.

Those who do willingly lose their lives by dying to themselves for His sake, however, will find eternal life. In fact, following Jesus is the path to the life that is true and lasting.

Matthew 10:34–39 contains some of Jesus' most challenging words. As usual, they can be easily misinterpreted when taken out of context. Christ's arrival in the world will bring division to Israel, as even family members turn on each other over the issue of whether He is the Messiah. Jesus says those who love family more than Him are not worthy of Him. He further heightens this idea of radical loyalty by comparing it to carrying one's own cross: a metaphor for death. Those who do follow Him, though, will find the life that is true. Those who go their own way will lose their lives, no matter what they find on earth. This passage follows Jesus' instructions to the Twelve as they prepare to spread the gospel (Matthew 10:5–7).

Jesus gives His authority over disease, demons, and even death to His twelve hand-picked apostles. He gives them instructions in preparation both for a short-term trip to the towns of Galilee and their ministry after He has left the earth. First, they will preach His message of the kingdom in Israelite towns as they heal and cast out demons to demonstrate His power. Later, they will suffer great persecution as they represent Him before both Jews and Gentiles. They should not be afraid, though, and trust their Father to be with them and to reward them.

Jesus has recently expressed compassion for the people of Israel, who are spiritually lost. Matthew 10 is a record of Jesus' instructions to His twelve core apostles, as He sends them on a short-term trip to the towns of Galilee. He also includes warnings and encouragements about the persecution they will eventually experience. In chapter 11, Jesus will continue to proclaim truth to the people of Israel, leading to further conflict with local religious leaders.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.