Dear Church,
WHAT DO WE LACK? Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, "You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to [the] poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." Mark 10:21 This is one of the most heart breaking interactions with Jesus that we see in the Bible. This “Rich Young Ruler” has so much promise. He seems to have it all: he’s young, he’s in a place of position, he’s religious, respectful, and humble – and yet something is still missing in his life. He must have come with confidence in facing Jesus that he lacks nothing. Jesus, the perfect one, can see his imperfectness and what he lacked. He must have been upset after hearing this statement from Jesus. But Jesus’ motive was not to dishearten him but rather to make him a complete man. Jesus’ intention was to reveal what he lacked if he hadn’t noticed already. By saying this, the man and all of us come to an understanding again about His Omniscience – all knowing and nothing can be hidden from Him. Jesus loved him and said this. Maybe the rich young ruler was challenged that day. If the man really wanted to raise his standard of living according to scripture, he must have shown interest in correcting or changing himself. Rather, on hearing this, this man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Many of us are sailing in the same boat. We do not want to be corrected. We cannot accept criticism. We do not understand that we will grow only by challenge. It may be upsetting but eventually this leads to an enhancement in our life style. This rich young man came to show Jesus that he is perfect in all his doings. We also think that we are all perfect. We may be perfect to our own standards. This standard of measure varies with individuals and of course God’s standards are above all. Only when we humble ourselves can we take any challenges. This young man’s eyes were on his wealth. He was not ready to leave it for any cause because his whole heart was upon it. He must have tried hard to attain that. That does not mean that he acquired that without the help of God. So he was depending on his own strength. He was scared to give it all to the poor. He was worried about his future and how he would he live without it. What do we find hard to let go off in our journey to follow Jesus? What do we cling on to so tightly that we find it difficult to release? God Bless, Amutha
0 Comments
|
Archives |