A dialogue with Jesus – 2 good lessons
I meditated on Matthew 19:16-28. This dialogue with Jesus has (at least) two good lessons.
Dialogue
A young man came up to Jesus.
Young Man: Teacher, what good deed can I do to assure myself eternal life?
Jesus: Strange that you should ask Me what is good. There is only One who is good. If you want to participate in His divine life, obey the Commandments.
Young Man: Which Commandments in particular?
Jesus: Well, to begin with, do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.
Young Man: I’ve kept those Commandments faithfully. What else do I need to do?
Jesus can see the man wants to know how to participate in God’s reality, and He knows his shoulders will sag under the weight of the next hard instruction.
Jesus: If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give all your money to the poor; then you will have treasure in heaven. And then come, follow Me.
The young man went away sad because he was very wealthy indeed.
Jesus: This is the truth: it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Yes, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.
The disciples, hearing this, were stunned.
Disciples: Who then can be saved?
Jesus: People cannot save themselves. But with God, all things are possible.
Peter: You just told that man to leave everything and follow You. Well, all of us have done just that. So what should we be expecting?
Jesus: I tell you this. When creation is consummated and all things are renewed, when the Son of Man sits on His throne in glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on thrones. There will be twelve thrones, and you will sit and judge the twelve tribes of Israel.
2 lessons
My takeaway today is twofold: First, the rich man wanted to know what HE could do to save himself. How “good” did he need to be? What rules did he need to follow to secure his salvation?
The short answer is there are no rules that will save a soul.
Ephesians 2:8-9
“For it’s by God’s grace that you have been saved. You receive it through faith. It was not our plan or our effort. It is God’s gift, pure and simple. You didn’t earn it, not one of us did, so don’t go around bragging that you must have done something amazing. For we are the product of His hand, heaven’s poetry etched on lives, created in the Anointed, Jesus, to accomplish the good works God arranged long ago.”
There is no self-salvation. Jesus did it all; it is a gift. Rules don’t save; God saves.
Secondly, the rich man was more interesting in keeping his wealth than giving everything up to follow Jesus. Radical as it seems, following Jesus with one’s whole heart means being willing to give up anything this world has to offer.
I don’t think this text is teaching nobody should be wealthy. Not at all! I do think it is demonstrating how wealth can have a hold on one’s heart above all else. It is a storing up of treasures on earth when the real treasures are in heaven. The eternal treasures are in heaven. That is where Jesus is.
Matthew 6:19-21
“Some people store up treasures in their homes here on earth. This is a shortsighted practice—don’t undertake it. Moths and rust will eat up any treasure you may store here. Thieves may break into your homes and steal your precious trinkets. Instead, put up your treasures in heaven where moths do not attack, where rust does not corrode, and where thieves are barred at the door. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Wholehearted for Jesus
Oh, that my heart would not be divided between heaven and earth, but wholly devoted to Jesus.
What earth-treasures do I seek?
What worldly things do I desire?
Today I seek to be wholeheartedly devoted to Jesus. He is my treasure!
