Then someone came to him and said, ‘Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?’ And he said to him, ‘Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.’ He said to him, ‘Which ones?’ And Jesus said, ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; Honor your father and mother; also, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ The young man said to him, ‘I have kept all these; what do I still lack?’ Jesus said to him, ‘If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ When the young man heard this word, he went away grieving, for he had many possessions.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’ When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astounded and said, ‘Then who can be saved?’ But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.’
I can't say this enough; no matter how many times you read a particular passage or how well you think you know a bible story there are times when you re-open your mind and re-read something only to re-discover a new message. In today's case it's the disciples reaction to Jesus saying it will be difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom of God. I honestly got a chuckle imagining the disciples collective look of astonishment as they stood there, mouths gaped open, eyes enlarged, eyebrows raised with looks of confusion as they ask, almost in harmony, "Huh? If not the rich, then who?!?"
In the days of Jesus, it would seem, there was a fixed idea that the only way to enter the "kingdom" was by following all the rules (aka torah) and being one of the accepted people in high society. Sounds too familiar doesn't it. How many in today's culture understand that to be true today? Albeit the "kingdom" they wish to inherit is similar to that the people in Jesus' time thought they would inherit; one full of riches and blessings.
Jesus is asked how one gets to heaven even if one is already doing everything according to the rules. His answer is simple - give more. In fact, give everything you have. Unfortunately the young man in this story is either unable or unwilling to do just that, so he just leaves in a grieving mess.
Following the way of Jesus requires many sacrifices. Sometimes we'll be asked to sacrifice more than we're willing. It's in those times we need to examine our commitment to being a Christian and decide for ourselves if the sacrifice is worth it, or if we should walk away. Jesus lets us know that one way allows us to live in a world of peace, filled with joy and love. Jesus also lets us know one of those choices may make life more difficult.
Which way will you choose?
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