08/06/2022
What do we do when we are asked to give up the one thing in life that we value most? Do we find that we want it more than God, or Jesus? When we look at the story of the young rich man we realize that he followed the law, and that Jesus loved him, yet we also see that what this man wanted most from Jesus was actually just another possession… he wanted to possess eternal life.
“And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?””
Mark 10:17 ESV
This man valued the things of this world more than what God was promising to provide. As Christians we can believe in Jesus, obey God’s commandments, and yet, when asked to give up that one precious thing we have in the world, we can agonize over it, and perhaps come to the realization that the cost is too high. Maybe we find that we too place some form of wealth above God, or perhaps power, prestige, or something incredibly simple like an association with a certain group of people, a job, or a church. Sometimes we value our pastor more than the gospel he preaches, enjoy a church lifestyle more that Jesus, or love our friends more than the Lord. Whatever it is, the challenge will come. The question will be raised, and we will face our moment of truth… can we give this thing up? In such moments we will torture ourselves as we wrestle with our faith, and determine its true value.
“And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.”
Mark 10:21-22 ESV
So, although Jesus promised him treasure in heaven, the wealthy young man was practicing an old adage that we hear all the time; “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush!” The wealth he possessed required no faith, but the treasure in heaven required him to trust, and believe… so he took what he already had in his hand, and walked away from Jesus, and the heavenly treasure.
“Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!””
Mark 10:22-23 ESV
Do we have some sort of wealth in our own lives that we value so much that we would walk away from Jesus too if he were to ask to give it up? Could we be like Abraham and be willing to give up our own son? Could we be like Jesus and offer up our own life to do God’s will? Or, would we be like each of the twelve disciples who gave their lives to preach and teach the gospel before eleven of them finally died in horrific martyrdom for their faith? For the young rich man it was his possessions… what is it in our lives that would challenge us enough that we would consider putting down our cross?
“Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
Matthew 16:24-25 ESV
Sometimes we are asked more than once to choose between God and something we value. For some of us our journey isn’t predicated upon a single leap of faith, but a series of smaller stair steps. I look at my life, and realize that it has been a number of very hard steps, and now that I am older, and more mature in my faith, I find that as I examine my past I can see these steps clearly. I find that each stair has shaped me… forming a magnificent staircase that has been carved with a double edged sword.
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”
Hebrews 4:12-13 ESV
And I saw that I was being tossed like wheat and while the chaff blew away and was burned, the grain of my righteousness fell to the winnowing room floor, and was gathered into the storehouse…
“His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.””
Matthew 3:12 ESV
Sometime during our life, and walk of faith, we will be asked to give up at least one earthly treasure, challenged to pick up our cross, and asked to choose whether we will follow Jesus. Throughout our lives we will be asked to choose between the comfort we find in the world, and being carved into heavenly stairs, tossed into the wind, or refined by heat. How will we choose? What will our heart reveal to be our true treasure… our God?
Prayer:
Father, thank you for placing us in positions where our faith is challenged, and we must decide who, or what, our God will be. Thank you for these moments of decision when our faith in you will either grow, or we will see how far we have yet to go. Help us in these challenging times to choose wisely, faithfully, and to love you with all our hearts. Lord, if we walk away as the rich man did, turning towards the world, we pray that you will speak to our hearts, and guide our steps back to you. Open our eyes, and circumcise our hearts. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who loves us, and calls us to you. Praised be your name for reaching out to us, asking us to give up the things that separate us from you, and then giving us the strength in your Spirit to choose as we should. Merciful are you Father who washes us clean of sin with the blood of Jesus, and returns us to yourself. Your grace flows over us as we ascend towards heaven, and by choosing wisely, we come into your presence… having taken one challenging stair step at a time. When we stand in judgement before you Father, see us as you see Jesus, a magnificent staircase that leads eternally to you.
““Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Matthew 6:19-21 ESV
Rich Forbes