Wednesday, September 28, 2016
Someone
came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher, what
good deed must I do to have eternal life?”
“Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There
is only One who is good. But to answer
your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.” “Which ones?” the man asked. And Jesus replied: “‘You must not
murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor
your father and mother. Love your
neighbor as yourself.’” “I’ve obeyed all
these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else must I do?” Jesus told him, “If you want to be
perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and
you will have treasure in heaven. Then
come, follow me.” But when
the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
Matthew 19:16-22(NLT)
There isn't a
sinless character in the Bible (with the exception of Jesus). I'm glad we see the warts of such
heroes as Moses, Abraham and Peter. Each
of them experienced that what's the use feeling from
time to time.
Aimlessness,
or purposelessness, is tied very closely to man's innate need to know, and
experience the presence of God. In
reality, it is the lack of that close relationship with God that causes that
void in life. Ultimately God is our purpose
and reason for living. Scripture teaches
we were created for God, so without Him we will tire of life's toys and
distractions; we feel empty.
Nobody is
immune to this void. In the account of
the rich young ruler, it was that restless feeling that there was something
he'd left undone with his life that prompted his question…what else? It's very much like attending your wife's
high school reunion; somehow you just don't fit. It’s a squirmy restlessness; you’d just
rather not be there.
The man asked
Jesus to help him sort it out. Jesus pointed
the man to what God said about behaving yourself found in the Ten Commandments. But the man wasn't content with superficial rules-keeping;
he'd done that all his life. He was rich
and respected…he had it all, but still, on the inside there was no peace. Mick Jagger and The Rolling Stones sang about
this ruler in the 60's; I Can't Get No Satisfaction was voted
America’s all-time #1 Rock and Roll favorite[ii]. WHY?
Simply because it matched with what is singularly THE most common
human experience – emptiness, the kind of void which traces back to being
separated from that for which we were created.
We can't be fulfilled outside of a close, loving fellowship with
God. The tragedy of people searching for
a sense of purpose in the drug culture, booze, or new toys is that the frantic
race for a higher high, or a longer lasting popularity, or a new and different
experience is just what Mick Jagger sang about:
"I try,
and I try, and I try, and I try; I can't get no satisfaction!"
And the terrible
reality about emptiness is that we choose it.
Jesus wanted the ruler to choose a relationship with God; the only
requirement was to remove whatever stood between. The man had already dealt with the one thing
that trips-up most people – our pride!
Just coming to Jesus with his questions shows the ruler wasn't overly prideful. His problem was his materialism, his wealth.
Choices are a
part of everyday life. We choose to get
up in the morning, and what clothes to wear.
When given the choice - Jesus or wealth - the ruler was sad. He was sad, having glimpsed the one thing
that would give him peace, and choosing the one thing that would ensure he
would never have peace…no satisfaction!
We are
strange people indeed, when we choose death over life. Reality screams that you cannot have new life
when you refuse to let go of the old.
For You Today
For a growing Christian, part of your prayer every day
ought to include, like the rich young ruler, anything else? But when the answer comes back…make a good
choice!
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