Happy Wednesday! It is a great day!
In the Gospels, we
read of a young man, wealthy and a studious follower of the law. He
knows that something is missing, and that what he has and everything
he has done is not good enough to get him eternal life. He is used to
being able to buy or get whatever he wants. So, in this search, he
hears of Jesus and seeks Him out. When he finally gets Jesus's
attention, he asks Jesus what he needs to do in order to gain eternal
life.
Jesus answers in
Luke 18:22,
"On hearing this Jesus said to him, “There is one thing you
still lack. Sell whatever you have, distribute the proceeds to the
poor, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come, follow me!”
Now, we do know that
the young man went away sad and distraught because he was very
wealthy. But there is a lesson in there for all of us, even those of
us who are children of God.
See, there was
something blocking the young man's ability to follow Jesus. A lot of
people misread the passage and think that selling the stuff and
following Jesus would guaranty eternal life. It doesn't. It is a
gift. But, that isn't the point.
As we try to walk
with Jesus and follow Him, what response would we get from Jesus if
we asked Him what we needed to do to follow Him? Would He tell us to
give up our job, our wealth, our favorite TV show, our friends, our
favorite food or beverage? I can tell you what He will ask. It will
be anything that we make more important than Him.
Today, are we
willing to ask the question of Jesus? Are we willing to give up what
He asks? Or will we walk away sad, and follow Jesus only so far?
-a brother in Jesus
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