What Do You Need To Give Up To Follow Jesus?
Good Morning Friends,
In the few years of Christ’s earthly ministry, He held many conversations. The Gospels record only a portion of those exchanges, suggesting that those discussions chosen for inclusion in the Bible are of great significance to us, and we should pay close attention to the lessons there for us. Jesus’ dialogues with woman at the well, the people Jesus healed, Nicodemus, Mary and the disciples all bring to light the nature of his ministry. The list is extensive. But today we look at a conversation with only one of them…the rich young ruler. And in it we see that the problem of sin in the world distorts values. Property, money, and material possessions, seem to give us security, but it is all a midst…a vapor. We came into this world with nothing and it is certain we will go out with no material possessions. Too many people barter away eternity because they consider things more important and God and people. Their values are all mixed up. The rich young ruler who came to Jesus with a question had this problem. As Jesus looked at this young man, he saw in him such promise and such potential. And we are told that as Jesus beheld him, He loved him. And, yet, the story seems to end on a sad note. Matthew, Mark and Luke all say that he went away sorrowful. He came to Jesus with the wrong perspective and went away dejected because he did not like the one Jesus offered. What Do You Need To Give Up To Follow Jesus?
Scripture: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
1 Peter 1:3-9 (NRSV)
As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.'” He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions. Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 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.” They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”
Mark 10:17-27 (NRSV)
(for you shall worship no other god, because the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God).
Exodus 34:14 (NRSV)
And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
John 17:3 (NRSV)
Message: I would encourage you to read through the Gospels. The accounts therein share stories about the life of Jesus Christ during His ministry on earth. And of special interest today are those times Jesus talked to people about what He calls them to give up. He asks the disciples to give up their work. He asks some to give up their families. He asks the Pharisees to give up their perceived power. He asks the Sadducees to give up their theology. And he asks us all to give up sinning. Ultimately, it boils down to our values and desires. You see, we are called to give up anything that we love more than the experience of God. So, if we love friends, family, money, or ourselves more than we love God we have a problem. God is jealous and does not want to compete for our love individually or collectively. For God is more precious and beautiful than any treasure we could possibly acquire on earth. It does not profit a person to gain the whole world and forfeit the soul. We need to focus in the Spirit on Christ and pursue God instead of pursuing the temporary treasures of this world. If we lose our souls, our temporary possessions and reputation earn us nothing after we die. On the other hand, we have everything to gain through Christ. Repeatedly in the Gospels we find that the one condition necessary to have eternal life is to believe in Jesus Christ. Religion is man trying to bring himself to God by human effort, by good works. Salvation is Christ bringing us to God based on what He did for us on the cross. Maybe in due course the rich young ruler realized the unity of Jesus, the Holy Spirit and the Father. But in today’s text it is clear he did not understand that Jesus would suffer for our sins…for the just and the unjust so that we might experience God and live through a belief in Christ as our Lord. Friends, Jesus has promised us eternal life if only we believe on Him and in him and determine to dedicate our lives to God. Maybe we need to give up the thought that we can earn our salvation. Maybe we need to get our priorities straight.
Pray we not just keep a focus on the letter of the law regarding our dealings with each other, but abide by the spirit of the law of love in our relationship with God as well. Pray we recognize the divine authority of Christ. Pray we realize that inheriting eternal life is about becoming a child of God, dependent on God. Pray we be on guard against all greed because our life is not in the abundance of possessions. Pray we realize that to get though the eye of the needle we like the camel must become free of all our baggage. Pray therefore that we are unburdened so we might love the Lord with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our mind. Pray we love our neighbor as our self because Christ has set us free. Pray we never turn away from God.
Blessings,
John Lawson
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