PODCAST
Would You Rather?
February 20th, 2019
Luke 18:18-30
Giving up something we enjoy, love, or constantly use is hard. My daughter, from her first day of life, loved her pacifier. Her older brothers had each used one, some.
The rich young ruler loved God. He had heard about Jesus and sought him out to learn more. Asking Jesus about inheriting eternal life, he was surely pleased to learn that as Jesus suggested, he had kept the commandment since he was very young. But Jesus wasn’t finished. “You must give all you have to the poor and have your treasure in heaven” (v. 22). That gave the young man a pause in his enthusiasm: he was very attached to his wealth. Extremely attached apparently, as he turned and walked away from Jesus!
Jesus knew we have the inclination to cling to things. As we cling to those things, are focus can be drawn from God to the world around us. If it takes putting down something, like the man’s wealth, in order to follow Jesus, then it is better to have nothing than Jesus rather than wealth for such a short time.
Is there anything you are attached to that Jesus has asked you to put down? Listen closely to him.
Author: Stefanie Hendrickson
