Have you ever felt that you weren't good enough? Ever wondered is this enough? Am I doing enough? Is it enough to do all the right things? Is being good enough? Ever felt that there was something missing? That even though you have everything you should there's an emptiness, a longing, a desire for something more? What am I lacking?
As I contemplated this, I thought of the story of the Rich Young Ruler. The story of the Rich Young Ruler is told in three out of four accounts of the gospels: Matthew, Mark, and Luke all retell the story. After reading the three accounts something struck me... I'd like to go through the account in Matthew which is just a little different than the other two accounts.
"And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he (Jesus) said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He said unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt not murder, thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?" (Matthew 19:16-20).
The Rich Young Ruler asked Jesus a question - "What good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?" Jesus answered the question by saying keep these commandments. Yet the Rich Young Ruler knew, he knew that wasn't good enough, because if it were then he could've walked away confident that he would inherit eternal life. He would have been justified in his belief that everything he'd done up until that point was enough. Instead he asked, what else do I lack? Deep down the Rich Young Ruler knew there was something lacking in his life. That there must be something more than just doing the right thing.
We too innately know that being good enough, doing the right thing, being a moral person isn't good enough. Yet we continue on this path. If I can just stack up enough brownie points, then I'll be set. I'll get into heaven. I know what you're thinking, I'm a Christian. I already know that I can't earn my way into heaven, but it's through believing on Jesus. Great! But don't stop listening yet, the stories not over.
"Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven" (19:21-23).
The Rich Young Ruler had the right religious title. He was a Jew. He believed in God and had kept the commandments. He had done everything right; and yet, he was lacking. We too can have the right religious title - Christian; do all the right things; and still, be lacking.
A lot of times when we read this passage we get caught up in the fact that the Rich Young Ruler was rich. We read it and think, well I don't have that problem. I'm not rich. We feel confident that we're safe because we're a Christian, we've already chosen to follow Jesus. We're safe.
But the reality is we are rich and we don't even know it. I asked the question at the very beginning do you ever feel that there's something more? Something you're missing? Let me answer that - there is. There is more. Jesus is calling to you, he's saying, "Give this up and come follow me." Only you can answer what the "this" is.
Unfortunately, this is not an easy topic nor is it one that we often hear in our American Christianity. We twist parts of God's Word to make it easy for us to continue living the way we want to live and doing just enough that we feel confident that we're still going to heaven. We talk ourselves out of doing what Jesus asks of us by saying things like, "I just can't believe Jesus would ask me to leave my family, work, home, etc." Or "If He really wanted me to do it, then I wouldn't feel anxious or nervous, I would be at perfect peace."
If you don't think God would ask you to give something up, or to leave your family, or to do something extreme... then you're not understanding the Bible you claim to be reading.
I want to flip over to Mark's account for a moment. "Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee." (10:28, emphasis added).
From reading scriptures we know that when Jesus called Peter to follow him, he left his career, his wife, and possibly a family. And Peter isn't the only one. Abraham left family. Moses left family, position, comfort. Every person God called in all of scripture was asked to give up something, to lay down something, to do God's will. How then can we say, "I just don't think God would ask that of me."
I'm sorry, but I believe the scriptures you say you believe say, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever."
If he's the same, then his call to follow is the same, which means you're going to have to give up something or everything! God's desire for you isn't to be a good person. To do all the right things. There isn't enough good things including ministry that can fulfill the requirement for you to inherit eternal life. The Rich Young Ruler knew this and deep down we know it too.
Last week I heard in church that true freedom is only found in Christ, because God always gives you a choice. The Rich Young Ruler was given a choice, "go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me." I bet you're thinking where's the choice? The choice is to obey or not to. God didn't take everything from him and make the Rich Young Ruler follow him. He gave him the option. He opened the door and said, "Will you walk through? Will you follow me?"
We too have the option. We can choose to do the scary things, the things we don't think God would actually ask of us, because we've justified it away in our Christianese. Or we can choose to continue living and doing what we've always done.
Before you decide let me remind you of Jesus' response to Peter, "Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time ... and in the world to come eternal life" (Mark 10:29-30).
So as you look at the things God is asking you to give up, realize that he offers you this promise, I will give you more than I ever ask you to give up. I've seen this in my life. Look around you, you have too. I have more brothers and sisters and mothers and fathers than I know what to do with. It's called a church family for a reason. When God asks you to give something up he always provides other ways to fill the holes that are left.
"But it's not the same..." We pout. It's not the same as my blood family, my siblings, my parents, my children... Maybe God is trying to increase you in ways that you can't understand, yet. Take a minute to stop listening to all of the arguments for why God wouldn't and consider for a moment that he's saying give this up and follow me?
What are you going to do?
