Scholars note the richness of the original Greek. The word for "seek to save" can imply a transaction, as if one is trying to "purchase" their physical life at the cost of their true, spiritual life—a bad bargain. In contrast, the word for "preserve" means to actively "make alive" or "quicken." This highlights that letting go of worldly attachments isn't a passive loss but an active reception of a higher, God-given life.