All depends on how you read it.
In this very chapter of Matthew, chapter 16, it says —
“verse 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
Sounds rather mystical, doesn’t it? , even though it’s also saying “for my sake.”
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Similar to a later chapter of Matthew in which Jesus says, don’t you see, whenever you have done this for the “least of these” [feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting a foreigner or those sick or in prison], you have also done it for me.
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There’s also the Sermon on the Mount in which Jesus said a lot of mystical things such as, “The meek shall inherit the Earth.” Some oil guy gave the quick quip, but not the mineral rights. We could point out that the go-go way the oil man likely lives is no way to live, especially if you tend to view most other human beings as standing in your way. But the oil man can point out, Hey, I create a lot of jobs, and there’s nothing more in keeping with human dignity than a legit job in which we really need you.
And I this I consider one of the major tensions of modern life.
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Anyway, as a good-hearted atheist / agnostic, I’m free to pick and choose from the Bible, from other writings, and build from them all [hopefully!]
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