Life or Riches?
Good Morning Friends,
Today’s scripture passage from Matthew is one of the saddest in the Bible for it mirrors the rejection of Jesus, the Messiah, by the self-righteous Jewish leadership of Jerusalem. Like most of the Jewish leaders here is a man looking for a new and startling word and perhaps wondering if Jesus is the promised Messiah of Israel. He gets what he asked for but not what he expected. He did not want to go all in accepting Jesus as the Messiah… King. But there is no other way. Jesus has authority over the law and we either obey or we fall short. Jesus holds a mirror up so the rich young man could see it was he who was the liar, not Jesus. It was the man who was the lunatic, not Jesus, for he choose death over life. And so it is when we are asked to embrace our own soul and choose with abandon the divine over the secular. It was the choice that Francis of Assisi said yes to. He had faced his own death and won. How would you fair if asked to choose Life or Riches?
Scripture: Then someone came to him and said, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; Honor your father and mother; also, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to him, “I have kept all these; what do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this word, he went away grieving, for he had many possessions.
Matthew 19:16-22 (NRSV)
So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another. Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not make room for the devil. Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labor and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy. Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:25-32 (NRSV)
32And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.’
Acts 5:32 (NRSV)
11That night the Lord stood near him and said, ‘Keep up your courage! For just as you have testified for me in Jerusalem, so you must bear witness also in Rome.’12 In the morning the Jews joined in a conspiracy and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.
Acts 23:11-12 (NRSV)
Message: The emotional response to giving and receiving is intertwined with the intentions of our hearts. Just as it is God’s nature to love so too we cannot separate our acts from His if our motivation is one of love. This reality is played out in today’s scripture as human wisdom goes up against divine wisdom. Here we discover that if we ask a human question we will get a human response. If we ask a divine question we begin a divine journey. This is played out in the hearts of those who receive as well as those who give. The invitation is of the heart or it is not of God. Here we discover there is only One who is good. Here we discover in obeying Him and his law of love all things are possible. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit my friends. Embrace God’s love and grace by sharing it.
Pray we choose the abundant life of obedience. Pray we know Christ as the true source of happiness and joy. Pray that we choose Jesus as not just Savior but also Lord. Pray we discover that in obedience our blessings on others are returned. Pray we never go away sad from an encounter with Jesus. Pray we believe that it really pays to serve the Lord. Pray that our own thinking and allegiance does not say “no” to love. Pray we are dying to live, not living to die. Pray we not misunderstand the nature of grace. Pray we become aware of our own faults. Pray we not walk away from our encounter with Jesus. Pray we recognize Jesus as Lord.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 