Saving a Lost Life
Whoever wants to save his life will lose it.
Two monks are walking back to their monastery in the freezing cold. As they cross a bridge, two monks hear a man calling for help in the ravine below. They want to stop, but know they must reach the monastery before sunset or they will freeze to death.
The first monk chooses to risk the danger of the cold in order to help another to safety. He climbs down into the ravine and gathers the wounded man into his arms, and slowly makes his way back to the monastery.
The second monk has already gone on ahead, determined to get back safely before sunset.
Night comes, and with it, the bitter cold.
As the first monk nears the monastery, he stumbles over something in the middle of the road. To his sorrow, it is the body of his brother who had gone on alone and had frozen to death. In seeking to save his life, he had lost it.
But the compassionate monk, willing to lose his life, was kept warm by the heat exchanged from carrying the stranger in need.1
Jesus said, “Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it” (Matthew 16:25).
PRAYER: Dear Jesus, Savior of the lost, teach me to lose my life for you in all I do. Make me unafraid to take risks of love, trusting in your power to save. Thank you for my life. Amen.
1As cited by Michael J. Christensen, The Samaritan's Imperative [Nashville: Abingdon, 1991], 33.