Ezekiel 16-17
James 3
“Jesus answered, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.’ When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.” Matthew 19:21-22
How would we describe our relationship with money? Our love of money can be like a marriage relationship; if we let it, the two can become one and we hold so tightly that it does not end until death do us part. In Matthew 19:16-22, Jesus encountered a rich young ruler who wanted to know what he had to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus told him to keep the commandments, which the young man responded that he had done. The young man pressed in to know what he still lacked, so Jesus responded, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me” (Matthew 19:21). In other words, “Sell your possessions because your possessions are possessing you. Be free from their covetous grasp on your life. Don’t give your possession to people who can repay you; instead, give it to people who are on the margins, the vulnerable, people who cannot repay you. As you do this, you will discover the very thing that you are missing in life.”
At this, the young man walked away sad because he had great wealth. The Greek word lupeō could also be translated as “vexed, distressed, pained, grieved.” What this tells us is that it is okay to let people walk away sad, to let people struggle with the implications of their sin and to let people be grieved by what is holding onto their life. What happened to this young man was actually a good thing. Probably for the first time in his life, he discovered unfulfillment and failure. We need to know that God does not pander to our desires or our demands. One of the gifts He gives us is a proper understanding of ourselves, which can be a painful lesson; yet, failure can be a great teacher, if we learn from it. The gift that Jesus gave this young man was sadness, grief, emptiness and distress because these emotions would be a constant reminder to him that no matter how much opulence he pursued, there was going to be a lingering distress in his life. At the same time, this sadness is simultaneously an invitation to change.
If the young man had released himself from his possessions that had become a stronghold in his life, Jesus was inviting him into a relationship: “…come, follow Me.” In order to receive Jesus into his life, the young man needed to let go of his wealth so that Jesus could fill what he was lacking and enable him to live a new life.
What do we need to let go of so that we can wholeheartedly follow Jesus?
Precious Jesus, nothing on this earth compares to who You are to me. Search my heart and reveal to me what I need to let go of in order to wholeheartedly follow You. Thank You, Lord.
James 3
“Jesus answered, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.’ When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.” Matthew 19:21-22
How would we describe our relationship with money? Our love of money can be like a marriage relationship; if we let it, the two can become one and we hold so tightly that it does not end until death do us part. In Matthew 19:16-22, Jesus encountered a rich young ruler who wanted to know what he had to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus told him to keep the commandments, which the young man responded that he had done. The young man pressed in to know what he still lacked, so Jesus responded, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me” (Matthew 19:21). In other words, “Sell your possessions because your possessions are possessing you. Be free from their covetous grasp on your life. Don’t give your possession to people who can repay you; instead, give it to people who are on the margins, the vulnerable, people who cannot repay you. As you do this, you will discover the very thing that you are missing in life.”
At this, the young man walked away sad because he had great wealth. The Greek word lupeō could also be translated as “vexed, distressed, pained, grieved.” What this tells us is that it is okay to let people walk away sad, to let people struggle with the implications of their sin and to let people be grieved by what is holding onto their life. What happened to this young man was actually a good thing. Probably for the first time in his life, he discovered unfulfillment and failure. We need to know that God does not pander to our desires or our demands. One of the gifts He gives us is a proper understanding of ourselves, which can be a painful lesson; yet, failure can be a great teacher, if we learn from it. The gift that Jesus gave this young man was sadness, grief, emptiness and distress because these emotions would be a constant reminder to him that no matter how much opulence he pursued, there was going to be a lingering distress in his life. At the same time, this sadness is simultaneously an invitation to change.
If the young man had released himself from his possessions that had become a stronghold in his life, Jesus was inviting him into a relationship: “…come, follow Me.” In order to receive Jesus into his life, the young man needed to let go of his wealth so that Jesus could fill what he was lacking and enable him to live a new life.
What do we need to let go of so that we can wholeheartedly follow Jesus?
Precious Jesus, nothing on this earth compares to who You are to me. Search my heart and reveal to me what I need to let go of in order to wholeheartedly follow You. Thank You, Lord.
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