Baby, You're A Rich Man?

One day on the way the Jerusalem, Jesus was confronted by a rich young man about what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus answered that the fellow knew the commandments of God, to which the rich man replied that he had kept them all of his life. Mark 10:21 tells us that our Lord, feeling genuine love for the man, went on to say that "There is still one thing that you lack...go and sell all of your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have inheritance in heaven. Then come and follow me." So the young man went away sadly, for he was very wealthy. Jesus then told His disciples that while it indeed difficult for a rich man to enter the Kingdom, nothing is impossible with God.

True enough, but what has that lesson to do with us. I'm sure that few among us would consider ourselves rich. But consider this, compared to the average person of Jesus' time, we are all rather affluent. Need an example? How much can you see from where you are sitting right now a whole lot of things that you could easily get along without. Things that would not only astound the people in our Lord's time, but might also surprise them that we have any real need for them.

Now it has been said that the message was for this particular man alone, because his "stuff" was getting in the way of his walk with God. But how many of us can find ourselves in the same situation? A dear friend recently quoted a well-known pastor in saying that if we are loath to part with things which God would have us give up, we do not own these things, but rather are owned by them. Does God really want us to part with any of, or all we have in order to serve Him? I don't know--that is between you and the Lord. But we would do well to consider what is truly important in our spiritual lives, and to never forget that we may well indeed be the "rich" that Jesus spoke of.

"...but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven...For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
-Matthew 6:20-21