Follow, but at what cost? | The rich young man

Bible: Matthew 19, Mark 10, and Luke 18

'As long as you do your best, everything will turn out fine. I'm not that bad. I do a lot of good things. And yes, everyone makes mistakes sometimes, that's not such a big deal, is it?' These are the words we often use to reassure others or ourselves. 

YOU WILL ALSO ENCOUNTER THIS WITH A RICH YOUNG MAN.

And what does he do with this question? He brings it to Jesus. Jesus receives him and is open to his question. ‘Good Teacher!’ the rich young man begins, ‘what good must I do to receive eternal life (a perfectly happy life without end)?’ 

Jesus looks at him, but does not answer immediately. First He says: ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good except One, namely God. But to answer your question: if you want to receive eternal life, then obey all the commandments of God.’  

THE RICH YOUNG MAN IS NOT SATISFIED WITH THIS ANSWER.

He wants to know exactly which commandments Jesus means. Jesus answers: you know the commandments: ‘do not kill, do not commit adultery, do not steal, and do not bear false witness. Honor your parents and love your neighbor as yourself.’ The rich young man looks at Jesus with satisfaction and says: ‘I have kept all these commandments from my youth. What do I still lack?’ Jesus looks back lovingly and moved. How will He respond? Will He now give the rich young man a pat on the back and say: ‘You will be fine?’ No, because Jesus knows He has not yet mentioned all the commandments. And besides: Jesus knows the heart of this young man, He knows what his deepest motives are and so He continues: ‘One thing you still lack. If you really want to be perfectly good, go, sell all you have and give the proceeds to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come back, take up your cross, and follow Me.’ 

THE RICH YOUNG MAN LISTENS TO THIS WORD OF JESUS.

His face falls, for he has many possessions. And now must he sell everything and give the proceeds to the poor and then follow Jesus? What will he live on? And what will the people around him say? And if unforeseen circumstances arise, he will have nothing to pay with. His money is his life, his security. This command from Jesus goes much too far. He does not want this. The rich young man walks away deeply saddened. Jesus turns and looks at His followers. He says: ‘It is certain that for someone who trusts in his possessions and expects everything from his wealth, it is difficult to enter the Kingdom of God. Yes, it is even easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.’ Jesus’ followers are shocked. They know their own hearts and lives. They also know how attached they are to the things of this earth. How much they want to be rich. And how complicated it is to live dependently and trust in God. And so they cry out to Jesus: ‘But who then can be saved (truly happy)?’ 

JESUS SHOWS THE WAY.

He answers: ‘From people themselves, it is impossible, but not from God, for with God all things are possible.’ Jesus shows the Door through which it is possible; He is the door. God Himself does what we cannot. He teaches people to trust Him again and to expect everything from Him alone. By the way, Jesus does not say that you may not be rich. But He says that money and possessions must not be the most important things in our lives. For God not only asks us to love our neighbor as ourselves, but also to love God above all, so also above our money and possessions. That was the problem in the life of this rich young man. He loved his money more than God and so he ultimately stumbled in all the commandments of God. And besides, love is the summary of the law. So to obey without love is the same as being disobedient. The rich young man was not even focused on God in loving his neighbor, but on himself. How is that in our lives? 

PETER, ONE OF THE FOLLOWERS OF JESUS, WANTS TO KNOW THIS TOO.

He responds immediately and says: ‘Look, we have left everything and followed you. What will become of us?’ Now Jesus will show the difference. For He answers: ‘You follow Me because your “will” has been renewed by the new birth.’ That means: God has worked this totally different, new way of life in you. Through this new birth you learn to trust God again, to love Him, and to live in dependence on Him. Because God reveals Himself as the Source of life. He is the Beginning and the End. The First and the Last. (Revelation 22:13) And because you have truly left everything for My sake and I am first in your lives, therefore you will receive a hundredfold in this life and in the future (after your death) receive eternal life. For the world passes away, and its desires; but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:17)