Back to the Bible: Matthew 19:13-30
Parents were bringing children to Jesus so that He could lay His hands on them. Can you believe the disciples rebuked them? Surely they thought Jesus was too busy for this. But, Jesus commanded them to let the children come and to not stand in their way. Why? Because children, in their dependence, were models of what we must be in order to receive God’s kingdom. We must recognize that we bring nothing of ultimate value to the table and are dependent on God’s provision.
A man approached Jesus with a great question. He said, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus called him to consider what it meant to call Him good. Did He understand that only God is good in the full sense? Does he understand what it means to attribute that level of authority to the answer that Jesus will give?
Jesus then lists a handful of commandments. The man, with full confidence, said, “I’ve done all of that since I was young.”
But, Jesus knew the man needed something. His treasure had his heart. He needed to follow Jesus, but to do so he was going to have to break off his allegiance to his possessions by selling all he had and giving it away.
The man went away sorrowful because he had great possessions.
Jesus explained that being rich and being a citizen of the kingdom was difficult. Really, it would be the same level of difficulty as a camel through the eye of a needle. People were flabbergasted. Was there any hope for anyone? Jesus says, “It’s impossible with man, but it’s possible with God.” The rich can be saved, but not without the work of God.
Peter reminds Jesus that he and the other disciples had left all behind. Maybe Peter is wondering, “What are we getting out of all of this?”
The apostles would have a special place of rule and judgment. For all, Jesus says becoming part of the kingdom of God, even if we have to leave behind homes or family to do it, won’t ultimately cost us. We’ll gain homes and families here and, ultimately, we’ll gain eternal life. Many who seem to be in last will be in first place eternally. Many who look like they’re in first place here will be last then.
Lessons to Learn:
What stands between you and following Jesus? We should not let anything stand between us and faithfulness to Him. It’s not a sin to be financially well off (I Tim. 6:17-19). But, riches present a great danger. If they keep us from following Jesus, they become an idol. The lesson that this man learned applies to anything worldly: comfort, relationships, pleasure, and on and on. If it stands between us and following Jesus it must be forsaken. We are, in a meaningful way, called to the same thing he was. We should use all that we have in a way that honors God.
We are thankful to share considerations of God’s word. It’s best if you have a Bible close at hand and evaluate what we say. We always want to go “back to the Bible” for what we teach. To reach us with your questions and comments or to request a personal Bible study email us at info@backtothebiblepodcast.com.
