Scripture:
Matthew 19:16-22 NKJV
[16] Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” [17] So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but one, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” [18] He said to Him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, “‘You shall not murder,’ ‘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 yourself.’ ” [20] The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?” [21] Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” [22] But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
Observation:
We have all probably either heard or read this scripture before, and I hope I can do it justice by diving in with you. All I can honestly ask is that the Holy Spirit shows up and goes through it with us. One of the first things I noticed is that this young man believes that he could earn his way to heaven. Knowing the end of what is said in the encounter with Jesus, the man had great possessions. He had probably spent his whole life working hard to obtain everything he had. Earning every penny to buy houses, camels, jewelry, servants, and so on. He was used to having to get up and put in a day’s work for what he wanted and honestly probably didn’t mind it. So his question to Jesus in his mind was not out of line at all…. what must I do to obtain eternal life? The response that Jesus gave him probably took him a little by surprise. Jesus was considered a teacher and a good one. HIS following was growing, and the crowds that followed HIM from town to town were not getting smaller. But becoming so large that HE would have to get in a small boat and push out just to be able to teach them. So the young man thought that by appealing to HIS ego, he would get the answer he was looking for. However, to his surprise, Jesus was a teacher, not like the others. HE knew HIS position had to be one of humility and meekness… ” Why do you call me good? No one is good, but GOD. Even though Jesus was the very SON of GOD, HE laid down that position in that statement. I can honestly imagine the shock that came to this young man’s face. My guess is he had asked this question to other Jewish leaders, and by appealing to their flesh, he got something completely different than the answer that he received from Jesus. I want us to notice that when Jesus responded to this young man with a small portion of the 10 commandments, HE left out the first few. You know the ones about putting GOD first and having nothing before HIM or in HIS place. That’s something that we should not miss. ” But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”….” Which ones,” the young man asked, hoping to justify himself, and Jesus would appeal to his flesh because HE knew where the problem was. Running down a list, it can be summed up in a simple statement such as… love your neighbor as you love yourself. The young man didn’t see that this was a major problem for him. Not only was he somewhat in love with himself, but he was also in love with his possessions, and that was what Jesus saw in him as the conversation got started. Not only was GOD not first in his life, but his love for his neighbor was minimal at best. That’s why he reacted in the way that he did when all that was brought to the surface. His possessions had a hold of him. He had spent his life gathering and earning and saving, working hard, putting away, and becoming someone in his own mind. All the while building a kingdom on sand that could be washed away at the sound of one major storm or fire.
Application:
I went to Tulsa over the weekend with my wife and had an amazing weekend. We went to a Christian concert and got to spend some time with my daughter-in-law what a blessing it was just to have a conversation with her and be a part of her life. As we were driving to meet up with her… having about an hr to kill. I saw the Harly Davidson store was setting up for an event of some kind, so we stopped. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that Harly Davidson’s are a passion of mine. Of course, the salesmen saw the twinkle in my eye as I looked at these beautiful motorcycles. So he came over to talk. What a great opportunity to share the gospel. I’m sure he was a little disappointed when I told him I was not interested in buying one and that I already had one. That I was perfectly happy with. But this whole encounter reminded me of when my motorcycle had a hold on me. It had such a hold that I was willing to harm someone over it. Several years ago, I had one that got stolen from me… and the event changed my life. GOD used it to point something out to me that I will never forget. My possessions had a hold of me. I had worked hard and earned that motorcycle, and someone just took it. My willingness to harm them pointed out to me that my love for GOD was not what I had thought or claimed it was. Not only was forgiveness a must but the understanding that the motorcycle had GOD’S position on the throne of my heart was exposed. It’s easy to get into the mindset that we have to earn our way. It’s kind of what the world teaches. If you do good, you will be rewarded. I believe the blessings of GOD come from obedience. But I also know that eternal life is a gift not by works lest no man boast. You can earn it. You just have to accept it, and you do that by surrendering to GOD. Loving HIM above all else. I’m going to tell you writing the letter to the man who stole my motorcycle telling him he could have it and that he was forgiven was not an easy task. But it was something that released me from years of bondage and unforgiveness. It reaffirmed my love for GOD and released my grip on the things of this world. I never want to be bound by my possessions. My desire today is to be a bondservant for Jesus Christ. Not to earn my salvation, but because I love my neighbor, and I want them to experience the love that I have found in Christ Jesus. My point of writing this morning is to ask you to love GOD above all else and to love your neighbor as you love yourself. Forgive those who have done you wrong as Christ as has forgiven you. Our lives are not our own they have been bought with the precious blood of GOD’S one and only son. Make it count, let the light that has been placed inside of you lead you to love others no matter what. GOD never gave up on you. HIS grace brought you to read this, and I hope it impacts your life. HE has a plan for every hard thing you face. That plan is to conform you to the image of HIS SON. The one HE gave in exchange for you. Surrender your everything. Step into the promises that HE has for you they are so much better than anything this world can offer.
Prayer:
Father, I’m asking you to do what only you can do. Take what you have written here and place it deep within the hearts of those who read it I never know why you bring me to where you do in the Bible but I believe that you always have a reason. So I ask that your Holy Spirit take this SOAP and use it the way that only you can. Help us to chase after you like you are the only thing that matters. Because honestly in my heart you are, and I know that you reward those who diligently seek you. I want the rewards you offer because everything else will burn or rust. You are an amazing GOD with an amazing way of leading us right to your throne. It’s all because of you… your love for us is greater than we could ever understand. It’s in the mighty name of Jesus I pray amen