LIFE, EARTHLY AND HEAVENLY
Jesus said, “He who cares only for his own life will lose it; he who loses his life for my sake will find it” (Mt 10:39). The “life” used here has a double meaning: the life in the world or the temporal life, and the life in heaven or eternal life. For the world, the origin and destiny of life are uncertain. According to the Bible, life originates from God. It lost its sanctity by the sin of humanity. Jesus came to restore it and lead people to eternal life in heaven. Thus, God has a purpose in His creation and for sending his Son among us.
When the worldly look for achievements in this life and ignore Jesus Christ and his church, they end up in eternal destruction. So, Jesus asked, “What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” (Mk 8:36) For Jesus, “life is more than food and the body more than clothing” (Lk 12:23). He said to the crowd, “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions” (Lk 12:15). “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be” (Mt 6:19-21).
God the Father gave His Son authority over all people to give us eternal life. We attain this life by knowing the only true God and Jesus whom He sent (Jn 17:2-3). The Christian should seek the eternal reward at the expense of sacrifices in this life for the Kingdom of God. According to James, “Blessed is the man who perseveres in temptation, for when he has been proved he will receive the crown of life that he promised to those who love him” (Jas 1:12).