The Fellowship of the Unashamed
Matthew 19:21 Jesus speaking to the rich young ruler:
“If you want to be perfect [complete],” Jesus said to him, “go, sell your belongings and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
You cannot achieve eternal life within mankind's own strength. You cannot have eternal life without "come and follow me". You're not going to be good enough to find your own way into the kingdom of God. You've got to get rid of all the false gods, the empty promises, the self-interest and pride. And give it all away and follow Him.
Take a look at what's been going on surrounding these conversations and encounters with Jesus in chapters 18 through 20. Jesus is doing his best to explain the kingdom of God. It's a spiritual kingdom unlike anything these people have ever experienced. And they come at him with their qualifications and expectations based upon what they already know. They ask about social status in the kingdom. They ask about marriage and children. They ask about how to achieve equality and respect in the world today and in the kingdom to come. They've all got some form of prosperity on their minds. Prosperous marriages and families. Prosperous businesses and fame. Prosperous lives in general. They're incredibly anxious about what's going to happen to them and for them.
And then, here comes a young and wealthy man. And from our perspective he's now infamous. It might seem as if he was a disciple-in-the-making. But as far as we know, things didn't end well for him.
Let's take a closer look at where he went wrong.
You've got to recognize if you want the good life.
This rich young man comes rushing up to Jesus and he addresses him as "Good teacher". Jesus responds in his typical off-putting manner, "Why do you call me good?" It's one of those questions that catches you off guard. You're not expecting it, and you're not prepared to answer it.
I think we can assume that the young man did not recognize with whom he was speaking. Probably the rich young ruler saw Jesus as a good and moral man, a man of insight and depth, but he did not recognize His divine authority. And there are some today who believe that faith does not need to recognize Jesus' divinity, that there are many paths to the same kingdom. If the rich young man did recognize Jesus as God, he wouldn't have walked away when challenged by the prospect of having to give away everything and everyone he's ever cared about in order to gain the kingdom [eternal life].
This encounter reveals how this young man spells JOY in his life. He's a religious man. He says he's never offended any of laws of God. So, let's assume he's right, as unlikely as that seems. Let's assume he's never had an evil adulterous thought. Let's say he's never lied or told some sort of untruth to whatever degree.
Obviously, he's never murdered anyone, not even with his words. He's kept himself from breaking any and all the laws having to do man-against-man offenses. He's fulfilled the law, or at least part of it. The parts that relate to human behavior in regard to our human relationships. But what about the God to man, man to God relationship?
Jesus only mentions to him the parts of the Decalogue [The Ten Commandments] that deal with man-to-man relationships. And I think he did that on purpose. He knows the man's heart, he knows his deeds. And apparently Jesus affirms this man's godliness in regard to those commandments when he doesn't challenge his claim but only adds the commandments he has not fulfilled.
Which ones are they?
The God-to-man relationship ones.
"I am the LORD your God...
Have no other gods besides me...
You are not to make for yourselves an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above, or on earth below, or in the water under the earth...
You are not to bow down to them in worship or serve them, because I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God...
You are not to misuse the name of the LORD your God...
And Remember to keep the Sabbath day holy."
Jesus tells this rich young man to give up all that he holds near and dear to him and come follow Him.
Remember, the conversation was about being perfect. Jesus didn't start the conversation. This young man wanted to know what he should do, and Jesus told him the truth. He showed what was lacking. And that was his love and respect for God.
The young man kept his religious record clean. He had a perfect attendance to the law. But when God asked him to come, he went away. Turns out good habits don't mean you're a good person. Because all legitimate claims to goodness belong to God alone.
This young man had proven his commitment to doing good things, but where was his commitment when asked to commit everything to God.
Webster’s Dictionary says, “To commit oneself says one is to speak or act in such a manner as to bind oneself to a certain line of conduct.”
I think the rich young man would agree, but commitment to Jesus Christ is more than a definition, it requires your whole life, your soul, and your all and all.
His mistake, his sin, his offense was to begin with asking, "what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life..."
And so, he we are again, circling back to where we started. Self-centeredness was the hallmark of their society and it's no different today. People are confused by Jesus and his teaching because those that are uncommitted to God above all else focus on themselves rather than the ways and works of God.
"What good thing shall I do that I may have...”
Marriages dissolve because of the self-centered attitudes. Children are disrespectful of their parents or any form of authority, they believe no one has the right to stop them or to punish them. Our leaders and representatives are wrapped up in their own plans and desires for political, spiritual, and financial gain. They commit themselves to their own goals and are uncommitted to God. And they believe this makes them "good".
"All these things I have kept ..."
They're committed to gain. They're committed to living their best life now.
When Jesus tells the young man to sell everything and follow him, he's telling him that only one thing will follow him into the kingdom [eternal life]
...His soul and the souls he's discipled in Christ.
Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
Everything else gets burned away. It's all left behind and it's nothing of value anymore. Only your soul and your love for God remains.
Those who are committed to God focus on their relationship with Jesus Christ rather than with family and friends. Those who are committed to God focus on the love worth finding rather than on the selfish love of mankind. Those who are committed to God focus on discovering the Source of Life [Jesus] rather than being that source. Those who are committed to God are part of the Fellowship of the Unashamed.
You cannot be ashamed and intimidated by the kingdom of God while living in this world and still have eternal life. You've got to cut the cord. This rich young man could not, and that was his sin. He wanted the good life, and he went away in darkness.
Here's what the young man didn’t understand. The Bible says he was wealthy...as a child of God. But he thought his own possessions were worth more than Jesus.
Lord, may we all never walk away from you. May we always remain committed to your kingdom above all else. In Christ our Lord, amen.
#ChristIsKing #KingdomOfGod