In Matthew 19:16-20, a man came up to Jesus in order to ask a question. Here is the question and the response that Jesus gave!
16 And behold, there came a man up to Him, saying, Teacher, what excellent and perfectly and essentially good deed must I do to possess eternal life? 17 And He said to him, Why do you ask Me about the perfectly and essentially good? There is only One Who is good [perfectly and essentially]--God. If you would enter into the Life, you must continually keep the commandments. 18 He said to Him, What sort of commandments? [Or, which ones?] And Jesus answered, You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, 19 Honor your father and your mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself. 20 The young man said, I have observed all these from my youth; what still do I lack?
One of the things that we can learn from this is that this young man believed that Jesus was good! Jesus said that God was the only One Who is good! So, Jesus IS God! When Jesus told the man what he should do, the man said he had already done so! In order to have kept these commandments this man had to have been devout and devoted! Still, he lacked some vital things! Jesus told him what more to do in verses 21-22:
21 Jesus answered him, If you would be perfect [that is, have that spiritual maturity which accompanies self-sacrificing character], go and sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; and come, be My disciple [side with My party and follow Me]. 22 But when the young man heard this, he went away sad (grieved and in much distress), for he had great possessions.
Jesus told him to sell his possessions. Jesus wanted this man to liquidate his assets! Why? So that he would be free to go wherever and whenever the Master told Him to go! Notice what Jesus did NOT say! He did NOT say to sell everything and give it ALL away! DON'T make the mistake of reading THAT into this! Jesus simply said "give to the poor"! Jesus didn't even hint at how much, just GIVE! AMEN! This man, IF he had obeyed the instructions of Jesus, could possible have been the wealthiest person in Jesus' "entourage"! (Having "no place to lay his head" did NOT mean that Jesus was poor, but that He was traveling extensively!) Jesus told Peter in verses 29-30 what would have happened in the life of his man, and in the lives of all who will do likewise! AMEN!
29 And anyone and everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for My name's sake will receive many [even a hundred] times more and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who [now] are first will be last [then], and many who [now] are last will be first [then].
AMEN! Have you "left" someone or something in order to follow Jesus? They are NOT lost to you, simply NOT on the front burner right now! Make sure that HE is, and stays, the #1 priority in your life! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Kids with "My Number One":
Shalom in Him!
