WHEN YOU LEARN HOW TO DIE, YOU LEARN HOW TO LIVE

What a great line from the movie (and I assume the book), Tuesdays with Morrie. As I thought about this quote, I thought about something: we often wonder what Jesus did in those 30 or so years before we know of his earthly ministry. Maybe, just maybe, he was learning how to die, which let him know how to live.

I think we (human beings) are afraid of what will happen if we truly live. We're afraid to lose – to lose loved ones, acceptance, possessions, even life itself. Yet, if we live in fear of losing these things, we also don't gain these things. We never actually step out in love to live.

The Jesus we know about knew how to die – by loving wastefully. He loved people that most people think are a waste of time to love – the sick, poor, women, children, even enemies. He loved “causes” or programs that showed everybody's worth in God's kingdom, in God's sight – causes that most people think are a waste of time. His living led to his death, but his death showed how we are to live, without fear but with love.

1 John 4:17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 Those who say, "I love God," and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. 21 The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also. (NRSV)

Romans 14:7 We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. 8 If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. 9 for to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. (NRSV)