"Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy."
Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then, come, follow me."
At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
I read this passage this weekend. After an incredibly long and exhausting week. A week that left me wondering what the point of this life is. In the past month I have had two clients pass away. Two. And it was sudden. Unexpected. And harsh.
The reality of it all is, I found out in my therapy session this week, is that I'm angry. It is not fair. And as I'm recovering from shock I find myself questioning why God has us on this planet. I'm reconsidering my definition of "success", which currently is disturbingly close to what "success" means in the United States. I would be lying if I said that there weren't more times than not this week when I wanted to lock myself in my room and hide under the bed until this world comes to an end. Sometimes it just hurts too much.
In the midst of all of this I read the story of the rich young ruler. I've heard numerous messages on this, and other passages in the Bible where the message is, "you just have to be willing to sell all your possessions, Jesus really doesn't want you to do it..." and my question has always been "why not?". But I think this weekend I realized that both of these responses are wrong.
The point is that we're missing something. Jesus didn't look at this young man and feel sarcasm, or anger, or frustration. He didn't look at this young man and feel like saying something snarky or giving him an impossible task. No, Jesus looked at him and loved him.
This wording has always stood out to me, because I never understood it. This was Jesus offering something to this man, but certainly he knew that the man would not accept. Why, then, did Jesus love this man, who would turn towards his earthly possessions and away from Jesus?
This week it hit me. Jesus did love the man, so he wanted to offer him more to life than he was living. More than the old law, more than what this earth had to offer, more life than the rich young ruler would be able to handle. More. More is offered here. A relationship with the Son of God Himself. More.
And I realized that when we say "of course Jesus doesn't want you to sell all your things" OR when we say "of course Jesus DOES want you to sell all your things" we're missing the point. The point is FOLLOWING Jesus. The point is not drawing lines. The point is not trying to figure out what Jesus didn't mean, but rather accepting all that He does mean.
I find comfort and solace so often in things of this world. But then when this world lets me down I wonder what the point of this life is. But this is the point: whatever this world has to offer, Jesus has more.
It makes me sad to realize what all I must be missing because I search for what God is NOT asking me to do, rather than what He is. This is where the pharisees got it wrong, and where I think we get it wrong today, too. Following Jesus doesn't always mean doing the hardest thing, or selling all we have, and sometimes it does, but what we fail to recognize is that whatever Jesus asks us to do it's worth it because He wants us to join Him, and He wants to offer us more.
Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then, come, follow me."
At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
I read this passage this weekend. After an incredibly long and exhausting week. A week that left me wondering what the point of this life is. In the past month I have had two clients pass away. Two. And it was sudden. Unexpected. And harsh.
The reality of it all is, I found out in my therapy session this week, is that I'm angry. It is not fair. And as I'm recovering from shock I find myself questioning why God has us on this planet. I'm reconsidering my definition of "success", which currently is disturbingly close to what "success" means in the United States. I would be lying if I said that there weren't more times than not this week when I wanted to lock myself in my room and hide under the bed until this world comes to an end. Sometimes it just hurts too much.
In the midst of all of this I read the story of the rich young ruler. I've heard numerous messages on this, and other passages in the Bible where the message is, "you just have to be willing to sell all your possessions, Jesus really doesn't want you to do it..." and my question has always been "why not?". But I think this weekend I realized that both of these responses are wrong.
The point is that we're missing something. Jesus didn't look at this young man and feel sarcasm, or anger, or frustration. He didn't look at this young man and feel like saying something snarky or giving him an impossible task. No, Jesus looked at him and loved him.
This wording has always stood out to me, because I never understood it. This was Jesus offering something to this man, but certainly he knew that the man would not accept. Why, then, did Jesus love this man, who would turn towards his earthly possessions and away from Jesus?
This week it hit me. Jesus did love the man, so he wanted to offer him more to life than he was living. More than the old law, more than what this earth had to offer, more life than the rich young ruler would be able to handle. More. More is offered here. A relationship with the Son of God Himself. More.
And I realized that when we say "of course Jesus doesn't want you to sell all your things" OR when we say "of course Jesus DOES want you to sell all your things" we're missing the point. The point is FOLLOWING Jesus. The point is not drawing lines. The point is not trying to figure out what Jesus didn't mean, but rather accepting all that He does mean.
I find comfort and solace so often in things of this world. But then when this world lets me down I wonder what the point of this life is. But this is the point: whatever this world has to offer, Jesus has more.
It makes me sad to realize what all I must be missing because I search for what God is NOT asking me to do, rather than what He is. This is where the pharisees got it wrong, and where I think we get it wrong today, too. Following Jesus doesn't always mean doing the hardest thing, or selling all we have, and sometimes it does, but what we fail to recognize is that whatever Jesus asks us to do it's worth it because He wants us to join Him, and He wants to offer us more.
2 comments:
I love reading your perspective on things, friend. It refreshes me and makes me want to know Jesus more deeply. I want to see the more! Missing you guys this Christmas, and hoping to come spend some time with you in DC in February!
Honey, I think you hit the nail on the head with the rich young ruler. No matter what we "do," it cannot earn or deserve salvation; if we try to earn it, Jesus will always show how futile it is... and how beyond reach it is... without him. Love you! Dad
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