Most of us cringe when we hear these words. Someone tries to convince us that if we give them something they will give us something better. Unfortunately, some see God as nothing more than a Dealer in charge of making certain the deals of life always work in our favor.
Ironically, this is not how Jesus lived or taught others to live. Jesus even invited one person to sell everything and give the proceeds to the poor! To sell all that I have means that I must first know “all that I have.” Have you ever thought about having an inventory of every single item you own? We may have a list of our “big ticket” items and heirlooms, but how many of our possessions rarely get a second thought?
When Jesus tells the young man to “sell everything,” we are told the guy sadly walks away. Does he walk away because he doesn’t want to part with these possessions or that he simply had too much to list? Besides, wouldn’t he then be poor, waiting on someone else to sell everything and share it with him? What is Jesus really asking?
Instead of an ultimatum, what if Jesus is inviting him to consider what he values most in life? Think about it. The guy doesn’t ask another question. What encouragement and insight might Jesus have offered if the conversation had continued?
We could spend a great deal of time with this one!
Pastor Jo
November 7, 2023
