Read Matthew 19:16-22 – Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” He said to Him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, “‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother, and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. (NKJV)
The rich young ruler is one of the more challenging stories of the New Testament. We wonder what Jesus is really saying to him, and wonder even more what he might, in turn, say to us. Is selling off one’s possessions a requirement for all of us or can we escape such a command, assuming Jesus was simply trying to break the hold that possessions had on this guy’s heart? What can be known for sure is that this young man lived for himself. Though he claimed to have been careful with the commands he had known since childhood, his portfolio revealed a life given to things for himself. When asked to part with them, he chose his stuff over the promise of eternal life. Living for one’s self is always a short-term plan. Such a choice can never bring lasting meaning or satisfaction to life. To put myself first will require that I let go of nearly everything and everyone else. That’s the direction this young man walked when he turned away from Jesus that day.
– Dr. Mike Clarensau serves as Senior Director of the Healthy Church Network of the Assemblies of God.
National Men’s Leadership Conference: March 8-10, 2012 . Dallas, Texas . www.men.ag.org
No comments:
Post a Comment