The rich young ruler comes to Jesus and wants to know the way to inherit eternal life... what an important question. Some of us rush through life without asking about that important and pressing issue. But this man does and what he finds out is not favorable. Keep the commands. Which he did a good job of doing apparently, but Jesus stepped it up a notch. "Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come follow me." The man went away sad because he had great wealth.
It is so easy for us to read that story and think what a dummy. He should sell his stuff ... I am glad I am not rich. Jesus wouldn't ask me to do that because I come from a middle class mediocre income family. I am by no means rich.... I need to tell you something. You are abundantly rich. 60 percent of the people on the planet right now... this very second, live for 2 dollars a day or less. The majority of people live on less than the amount we would spend on a value meal at McD's. You are filthy rich. And would you be able to give it up for the sake of the Kingdom? To inherit eternal life? Would you be willing to give all your possessions away. Live simply? Make sacrifices financially so that you could give more to the poor? Some of us give our 10 percent to the church and feel pretty good about it. Jesus is calling us to so much more. Give it all away and give to the poor, then come and follow Him. Is that the kind of faith you live? A reckless, sold out, all in faith? Or are you like the man who goes away sad? I will be honest it is hard to live this out. I don't want to be the tightfisted rich man in Mark 10... I want to be the Joy filled all consumed sold out guy in Matthew 13:44 The kingdom of heaven is like a man who found a treasure in a field and in his Joy sold everything so he could purchase that field! So he joyfully gave up everything? You mean he willingly sold everything? He didn't even have to be asked he just did it? That is what I want to think about my Jesus. He is worth the whole darn thing. I would give it all up just to have him. My hope is that you see Jesus as that treasure. That you see him as far more valuable than anything else and you are willing to sell it all just to have him!
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