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“When Jesus heard this, he told him, ‘You still lack one thing: Sell all you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’ After he heard this, he became extremely sad, because he was very rich.”
Jesus encountered many people who desired to follow him during his earthly ministry. Jesus’ impact crossed social-economic levels, racial divides, and nationalities.
In Luke 18 we read of an encounter Jesus had with a young rich ruler.
By the world’s standards, this man had it all. He was the total package.
Despite his success, he had feelings of inadequacy, incompleteness, and emptiness. How do we know? Because he asked Jesus how he could have eternal life.
I believe this was a humble approach with this question. It seems like something was bothering him and he wasn’t embarrassed or afraid of the crowds to approach Jesus with the greatest question a human can ask, “How can I have eternal life with God”?
He sensed his need for God, but he couldn’t figure out what he lacked and why he felt empty. After all, he was a rich ruler who either earned his wealth or was the recipient of an inheritance and rich family.
Here is the interaction between Jesus and the young rich ruler.
A ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal; do not bear false witness; honor your father and mother.” “I have kept all these from my youth,” he said. When Jesus heard this, he told him, “You still lack one thing: Sell all you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” After he heard this, he became extremely sad, because he was very rich. Luke 18:18-23
When it was time to test if his heart was in it, the young rich ruler walked away from Jesus.
The young rich ruler was unwilling to surrender his identity to follow Jesus. He walked away from Jesus, not just because he was rich, but because he was more attached to his wealth than to Jesus.
There is a lesson for all of us to learn from the young rich ruler. Are we willing to surrender our minds and hearts to Jesus or is there something we are unwilling to let go of in our lives?
Salvation is for those who understand that their sin stands in opposition to Jesus and the only way to receive life is to turn to the giver of life – Jesus.
Everyday people walk away from Jesus because they come searching for solutions not longing for a Savior. Sin brings spiritual blindness, but it can’t get rid of feelings of inadequacy, incompleteness, & emptiness. These feelings stem from the core problem of separation from God. This feeling of spiritual separation is further exasperated when we try to find our identity is things other than Jesus, like our power, affluence, wealth, family, and social status.
Sin brings feelings of worthlessness that can’t be fixed by your own efforts, but Jesus shows us our true worth and true identity.
In Jesus you are:
- Accepted rather than rejected
- Set free rather than in bondage
- Covered by grace instead of under the law
- Adopted instead of orphaned
Apply:
- What is keeping you from Jesus?
You might be able to identify what is keeping you from saying “yes” to Jesus by answering these two questions:
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- Where do I find my identity?
- Where do I run for comfort?
Respond:
Confess your need for Jesus and repent of any sinful desires to find your identity in something other than Jesus.
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The F260 NT Bible reading plan and HEAR Journal method is from Replicate Ministries.
Chase Snyder
Writer, Pastor
