If You Want Something Done Right…
January 25, 2022
Matthew 19:16-26, NIV - Just then a man came up to
Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”
“Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied.
“There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
“Which ones?” he inquired.
Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not
commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor
your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’”
“All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I
still lack?”
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. Then Jesus said to
his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter
the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through
the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who
then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them
and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Looking at this passage, I am drawn
to the last statement of Jesus. “Nothing
is impossible with God.” This saying of
Jesus has been quoted by many in many different situations, but it occurs to me
now that, at least in this case, Jesus is talking about something very specific
that is possible for God and impossible for man – eternal life. The disciples’ minds are blown when Jesus
says the bit about how hard it is for rich people to get into the kingdom of
God. That’s because in Jesus day, being
rich was equated with being divinely blessed.
Hence the disciples’ question, “who then can be saved?” is
understandable.
These days, we generally don’t have
a problem separating the categories of rich and “divinely blessed.” However, Jesus statement is no less true
today than it was when he first uttered it. I like the way Frederick Buechner
says it:
“The trouble with being rich is that since you can solve
with your checkbook virtually all of the practical problems that bedevil
ordinary people, you are left in your leisure with nothing but the great human
problems to contend with: how to be happy, how to love and be loved, how to
find meaning and purpose in your life.
In desperation the rich are continually tempted to believe that they can
solve these problems too with their checkbooks, which is presumably what led
Jesus to remark one day that for a rich man to get to Heaven is about as easy
as for a Cadillac to get through a revolving door.”
It was not a transaction Jesus was
looking for as if the young wealthy man could buy salvation. Jesus knew that the man would never be able
to receive the kingdom unless the tie to that which he truly trusted in (wealth)
was severed. Our connection to eternal
life has nothing to do with what we can do for ourselves, but everything to do
with what God can do. Although I know
mentally that this is true, the challenge has always been for me to live like I
know this is true. How about you?
Question: In what ways do you keep trying to earn some kind
of “divine credit” by things you do?
Prayer: God, help us
move toward truly trusting you for our salvation and away from somehow trying
to earn it. Amen.
Prayer Focus: Pray for
God to show you the things you are truly trusting in right now.
Song: Lord, Have
Mercy – Michael W. Smith (ft. Amy Grant)
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