The hour had come for the Son of Man to be glorified. (John 12:23)
And on the occasion of this hour, Jesus said:
Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone, but if it dies it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it; and he who hates his life in this world shall keep it to life eternal. (John 12:24-25)
John tells us Jesus was referring here to His own approaching sacrificial death. But, in light of previous teachings, I believe He is also using His circumstance to say something universal to mankind. We know Jesus came to give us life that is abundant. To understand what Jesus was talking about, we have to consider all that He said about “life” to form our understanding. So, if I take Him literally, is Jesus saying I must have some form of “hate” in my heart before eternal “life” can grow? Help!
I wrote this MwM post from a beautiful mountain vista (Oeste Vista – Angel Fire, NM in fact). I had escaped the brutal Oklahoma heat and drought, which had plagued our region for several years. As for “hate,” I did, in a sense, hate my life more at 110 degrees than I did at 75. Here is the irony. At the encouragement of my son Daniel, who is an English literature major, I was reading The Grapes of Wrath, an account of other Oklahomans who had traveled west due to heat and drought. The stark difference is that they were trying to avoid starvation. I was only making a modification of 35 degrees to achieve some comfort.
I had begun my day thanking the Lord for His fresh mercies, which were not limited to, but certainly included, the pleasant circumstance of life at 9,000 feet above sea level. So, should I have instead begun my day by asking God to remove my comfort? Did I need to dial gratitude down to some degree of hate? As I read the Grapes of Wrath, I grew convinced John Steinbeck was available to assist me should I choose this path.
It got even worse. Steinbeck attributed most of the evil pressure driving Oklahomans west to corporations. Double help! It was a corporation that generated the funds for this vacation! Are Steinbeck and Jesus in cahoots? (Daniel, are you in on this too!)
As I have attempted to navigate through these complicated theological waters, I have not developed hard and fast rules in applying Jesus’ teachings. One might ask, “How then do I expect to direct my ship without firm biblical convictions?” I have noticed it does not find favor with my sola scripture brethren, but my answer is that I am navigating by his Spirit (who indwells me) and by his Word. I believe, in the context of mystery, the spirit of a truth is as valuable as the letter of it. Who then, better to have on board than Holy Spirit! I trust that even with my imperfect understanding of Jesus’ harder words, His Spirit is sufficient Light to press on.
Father, may the seed of Your Words germinate in my heart, finding Christ who is the only soil in which it may be established, returning to You the crop You anticipate, not some culturally modified crop barren of any eternal relevance. Be glorified in us Lord. Amen.