I like a good paradox.
For instance, is this sentence true or false: “This sentence is false.” Similarly, if Pinocchio were to say, "My nose is growing larger," will it, in fact, grow larger? If not, he's a liar, and his nose must grow. But then that would mean he was telling the truth, so his nose shouldn't grow. Or lastly, my favorite is the so-called ‘Ship of Theseus Paradox.' In this scenario, a beloved ship is slowly repaired bit by bit until every piece of the vessel is replaced. But, by this point, is it still the 'Ship of Theseus'? Or would it be more accurate to say it was a replica? But, if the latter is true, at what point did it stop being the original ship?
Interestingly, the Scriptures are full of paradoxes. But unlike those listed above, these have actual answers that can revolutionize your life (cf. Matt. 5:6; 11:29-30; Rom. 3:38/Jam. 2:24; Ecc. 1:2/1 Cor. 10:31; Matt. 7:1/Jhn. 7:24; Prov. 26:4-5). Far from being a fun brainteaser, the paradoxes in the Bible have a way of rewiring our brains altogether. And one of my favorites comes in the Gospel of John:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life." – John 12:24-25 (ESV)
Contextually, Jesus is speaking about his death. And he frames that death in a metaphorical paradox involving, of all things, farming. He explains that it does little good if a “grain of wheat” is left unused. Because, as Jesus says, it remains "alone;" meaning, it doesn't multiply itself. However, should it be planted ("falls into the earth"), it will transform into a stalk of wheat that produces multiple kernels of wheat—i.e., "much fruit." Yes, the grain of wheat will "die" (which is to say, it will be destroyed, or it will cease being what it was originally), but through its death, more wheat will be produced. Meaning, at its core, the process of farming is dependent on a paradox; as, from the death of countless seeds comes abundant life and harvest.
In fact, by today’s standards, along with corn, soybean, rice, potato, and cotton, wheat is classified as an HYV (high-yielding variety). And according to the Kansas Farm Bureau, there are around "50 kernels" in a single stalk of wheat and around 17,000 kernels in a pound.[1] This means that, considering its tiny stature, a single grain of wheat produces quite a bit. So, even though the kernel of wheat is destroyed, when it is sown, it becomes the catalyst for abundant life as it reproduces itself fifty times over. In fact, a person only needs ten-square feet to produce enough grain for a single loaf of bread.[2] That’s roughly the square footage of a midsize SUV.
In light of that, we can better understand what Jesus meant in John 12:24. The Lord may be talking about his death, but he's framing it in terms of a high-yield grain that produces yet more high-yield grain. His death leads to abundant life in the same way that a bit of wheat makes a lot of grain.
After the tragedy on the cross came the entombment in the garden leading to the triumph of the resurrection and culminating in the enthronement in the heavens. And through Jesus' death, burial, revival, and reign, life is secured for all those who believe in him (cf. Jn. 3:15). Thus, paradoxically, from Jesus’ death came life for many. How many people have been given new life through Jesus' one-time sacrificial planting? And should the Lord tarry, how many more will be saved in the coming years?
But Jesus does not stop there. He then applies this paradox to the believer, saying, "Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” Loving one’s life (paradoxically) leads to losing it, but hating one’s life (paradoxically) leads to having it. And in this, Jesus is not telling us to hate our life whereby we bemoan our existence, throw it away without a thought, or regard it as meaningless. Life has immeasurable value. Jesus is using hyperbole. And his point is that we ought to have such an affection for the things of God that, by comparison, it appears as though we hate the things of this world. It is not that we actually hate the things of this world. Rather, it is that we prefer the things to come (cf. Matt. 10:37-39; Lu. 15:12-21, 17:33).
In essence, the Lord is contrasting self-aggrandizement—i.e., hubris—that leads to selfishness and self-preservation with a self-debasement—i.e., humility—that leads to selflessness and self-sacrifice. The prideful person loves themselves so much that they "serve" only their own interests and "follow" only their own intellect. And they will, above all, seek to save themselves from all harm. Whereas the lowly servant will "follow" the one whom they know is worthy even if they're led straight into harm's way.
To borrow Jesus’ farming metaphor, a kernel of wheat that does not give itself away will not experience the new kind of life that awaits it in the soil. And, in doing so, it will have failed to understand its true nature and purpose. But a kernel of wheat that does understand its true nature and purpose will experience the new kind of life that awaits it in the soil because it will willingly give itself away. The seed, who knows it’s a seed, has but one goal in life: to die so that others may live.
Should a believer live a self-sacrificial life like this, Jesus goes on to promises that "…where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him” (cf. Jhn. 12:26). Working for the Son of God secures recognition from God (cf. 1 Sam. 2:30), especially when Christians give up their very lives in service to the gospel. In fact, it could be argued that one of the goals in living one's life for Christ is so that we might die well. How tragic would it be to spend our life on frivolous pursuits and not have anything to show for it in the life to come. Or, as D.L. Moody put it, "Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at something that doesn't really matter.” All who go to their graves loving the Son will be honored by the Father.
As Jesus died for us, we are called to sacrifice and even die for others. And throughout the church age, Christians have done just that. For example, William Tyndale was burned at the stake on October 6, 1536. And he wasn't executed because he murdered someone. He was martyred because he put the Bible in the language of the common man.
At the time, the Bible was regulated by Catholicism. In fact, though much of the church spoke English, sadly, its Scriptures were mainly in Latin, making them readable to only a highly educated few. Admittedly, much of the population was illiterate. However, the few who could read couldn't read the Bible for themselves. Tyndale saw this as a great evil and so sought to fix this problem. Unsurprisingly, the Catholic Church didn't look too kindly on him. And he would often get into confrontations with anyone who stood in his way. In fact, he once told a priest, "If God spares my life, ere many years pass, I will cause a boy that driveth the plow shall know more of the Scriptures than thou dost.”
Sadly, the Catholics eventually silenced Tyndale. Through various means—i.e., the edict of a corrupt King, the hand of a false friend, etc.—William was captured, strangled, and then burned at the stake. His last words before dying were, "Lord, open the King of England's eyes.” However, his death was not in vain. Three years after his martyrdom, the same King who helped kill William required an English copy of the Bible to be available in every church. Tyndale's prayer was answered.
But how does this story relate to the paradox of sacrifice? William Tyndale was like the kernel of wheat that fell into the soil. And though, yes, he died; his sacrifice laid the groundwork for many Bible translations, such as the KJV, ESV, CSB, etc. Like Christ, his sacrifice provided abundant life for countless Christians in the centuries to come. Anyone who reads an English Bible today has Tyndale (among many others) to thank.
Okay, how does all this relate to us, today? No sacrifice is too little when it is for the cause of Christ. This is the beauty of the sacrifice paradox. When you give it all to God, he returns your investment a hundred times over. Who knows? You may be a modern Tyndale. You may be the Christian who helps bring life to untold masses. But you'll never know what part you play unless you're willing to give yourself away for Jesus' sake.
[1] General Editors, “Wheat Fun Fact Sheet,” Kansas Farm Bureau, https://www.kfb.org/WebsitePageFile/File/A4999F31-C619-4FB6-BF22-074DA6143FC1/WheatFunFactGuide.pdf, [accessed, March 8, 2023].
[2] Bonsall, Will, “Is There A Place For Wheat In Your Garden? Part 1,” Spring 2010, Main Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association,https://www.mofga.org/resources/gardening/wheat/, [accessed March 8, 2023].
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