God's Gospel Truths
Matthew 19:16-22
The Rich and the Kingdom of God
16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”
17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
18 “Which ones?” he inquired.
Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’”
20 “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”
21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Pondering Point
Continuing with Jesus’ encounter with a rich, young man, we turn our attention to Jesus’ words at the end: Then come, follow me. Being a godly disciple is not merely about turning our backs on false gods or things which displace God on the throne of our hearts. There is still Jesus’ call to “follow Me,” something He is known to have said many times. In what ways would you explain to another person how you are following Jesus? Ponder that; linger with the question and its various answers rising in your mind. Share your possible answers with a few others to see if they agree with your personal assessment or not.
Prayer for the Day
Lord Jesus, don't let me end up going half-way by giving up things You call me to give up but then failing to follow as You lead me through life. I want to be where You are. By Your Spirit, help me see where You are and where You’re going. In Your name I pray, living to serve God. Amen.