Matthew 16:21-27 We don't have to prove ourselves to be loved by God

Jesus began to show his disciples
that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly
from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised.
Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him,
"God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you."
He turned and said to Peter,
"Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do."

Then Jesus said to his disciples,
"Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world
and forfeit his life"
Or what can one give in exchange for his life?
For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father's glory,
and then he will repay all according to his conduct."


In this passage we see the christian paradox: "whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it". What an odd statement to make. But when we reflect on its meaning we come to realize that Jesus is trying to save us from our false-selves. We often create a false image of ourselves that we believe to be our true selves. We think that we are what we do or we are what we think we are but in reality we are sons and daughters of God. We don't have to prove ourselves to be loved by God. We simply are loved because of God's grace. Jesus helps us deconstruct our false-selves by telling us to love God and one another. When we get away from ourselves and look to others we end our self-centredness and begin a live with God in the centre.