How Selfish Are You?

Matt. 19:1-26; Mark 10:1-27; Luke 18:15-27

After Jesus final departure from Galilee, He entered into Peraea. Imagine his delight of revisiting the same area where He began his ministry starting with his baptism. However he knew of his impending death. This became a new chapter in His life which would become saddened and yet unwilling to stray away from His goal; the Redemption of Man...

Remember my last post where the leaders asked Jesus about divorce? Well, soon afterward, a rich young man came to Jesus inquiring about eternal life. Jesus read his heart from the beginning and saw he was more interested in his earthly possessions than his spiritual and eternal life. Jesus posed the question to him, "If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell all that thou hast, and give to the poor, and then thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come and follow me." Although the young man wanted eternal life, he was unwilling to part with his possessions. He could not pay the price asked of him. All that money, and no way to buy his way out!

"In the observations He made He did not expressly say that to part with property was necessary to salvation, but He did speak in a manner which seemed to the disciples almost to imply that... He was hinting that the thing to be renounced in order to salvation was not money, but the inordinate love of it." The Training of the Twelve, A. B. Bruce, pg. 254.

What a shame to have everything, seemingly, but yet lose everything in eternity!

Even the disciples were perplexed by this statement as they asked, "Who then can be saved?" Bruce continues, "It is an inquiry of vital moment what our Lord really meant to teach on the subjects of marriage and money. The question concerns not merely the life to come, but the whole character of our present life. For if man's life on earth doth not consist wholly in possessions and family relations, these occupy a very prominent place therein. Family relations are essential to the existence of society, and without wealth there would be no civilization. Did, Jesus, then, frown or look down on these things, as at least unfavorable to, if not incompatible with, the interests of the divine kingdom and the aspirations of its citizens?" pg. 255.

The short answer is "no." Jesus knew that these things did not change the salvation of man anymore than they do today for those who have family and riches; and in some occasions both. The question is where the young man's heart was centered. He had all he could ever want (on this earth), but was unwilling to part with it for the kingdom's sake. That's where his heart lie.

Was Jesus asking him to part with all his riches just to enter the kingdom of Heaven? I don't think so. I think He was determining from His spiritual intuition that this would be a stumbling block for the young man from the very beginning and wanted him to know it before he surrendered to the call.

You see, some in the past have given everything up for the high calling of Christ and still missed the mark. Monks were some of the few. Celibacy was the given course of their life. This allowed the monk no distractions in his quest for the cause of Christ. But was it? When he spent his whole life behind walls of stone craving his quest; did he really understand his calling was to go out from the walls and reach those with the saving power he kept to himself? In reality, this monk's life was and is never a serious option for the serious Christian. The serious Christian lives beyond the walls. He ventures out of it, seeking to save that which was lost; even losing what some consider important in life.

Listen to one more quote as we close for the day, "Abstinence is the virtue of the weak (the monk), temperance (the serious Christian) is the virtue of the strong. Abstinence is certainly the safer way for those who are prone to inordinate affection, but it purchases safety at the expense of moral culture; for it removes us from those temptations connected with family relationships and earthly possessions, through which character, while it may be imperiled, is at the same time developed and strengthened. Abstinence is also inferior to temperance in healthiness of tone." pg. 257.

So where are you today? Are you selfish with no ambition to share Jesus? Or are you serious about the cause of Christ willing to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ outside the walls of your household and share it with the world who need the light in a morally and spiritually darkened world?