Scripture

“Everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life.”

Observation

A young man comes to Jesus and asks Him what he must do to have eternal life. Jesus tells him he just needs to keep the commandments.

The man tells Jesus he has kept them all. Jesus tells him he just needs to do one thing- to sell his possessions and give the money to the poor, and then come and follow Him.

Jesus tells the disciples that it is very hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. It is easier to pass a camel through the eye of a needle. He goes on to tell them that in the kingdom age, everyone who gives up anything for His sake will be rewarded a hundred times over, and will also inherit eternal life.

Application

The rich man was badly addicted to his money, or to be more accurate, the lifestyle his money made possible. He could not give that up, even for the sake of eternal life.

The pandemic has brought about immense changes to people’s lifestyles because of restrictions imposed by authorities. While many people have lost businesses built up over many years, the biggest question for many seems to be “When can I travel overseas?”

Jesus constantly nails the one thing we are dependent on and asks us to yield it to Him. He promises that whatever we yield to Him He will restore a hundred times over.

Bu tit is always the one thing I have set my heart on or worked hard for. He wants me to give that thing up, and I can’t because it is my identity, my achievement, my idol.

The good thing is that once we have decided that everything is His, we don’t even mind giving it up for Him.

Our idols keep us rooted in this planet. Jesus gives us vision for eternity. When we give it all to Him, He returns it and eternity as well.

Prayer

Lord, please show me the idols of my heart, and give me grace to surrender them to you. Amen.