Matthew 19:16-30
16 And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” 17 And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” 18 He said to him, “Which ones?” And 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 mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
23 And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” 26 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” 27 Then Peter said in reply, “See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” 28 Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 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 a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.
Reflection
The rich young man asked one of life’s ultimate questions: he wanted to know how it was possible to gain eternal life. The way he asked his question makes it clear that he assumed that he had to perform some “good deed” in order to purchase eternity (Matt. 19:16). In love, Jesus tries to help this man see that he has not lived a perfect life, and therefore he cannot earn eternal life. He loves his money more than God (vv. 21–22). In order to “enter life” (v. 17), therefore, he must be willing to let go of the things he treasures most so that he can take hold of the only thing that can save him from his sin. He must forsake his worship of money, turn to Jesus, and follow him (v. 21).
God does not call all Christians to give everything they have to the poor, but he does call all of us to prioritize our loyalty to him. It is difficult for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God (v. 23) because riches can so easily take the place of God in our lives. Many people make the mistake of putting their trust in money rather than God because it seems to offer tangible security. Jesus recognized that the best way to avoid the enslaving power of money was to generously give to others and entrust ourselves to him (v. 21). Because we have been saved by God’s gracious forgiveness, our giving to the needy should be motivated by the joy of what Jesus has done for us in our own time of need.
1 Corinthians 1:1-9
1: Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes,
2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— 6 even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— 7 so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Reflection
In 1 Corinthians, Paul addresses a church that is both deeply flawed and greatly loved. He reminds them that God’s people possess all the resources needed for spiritual growth and transformation. We are united to Christ (“in Christ Jesus”; 1 Cor. 1:2, 4). We have a relationship with him and with God as our Father (vv. 3, 9). As a result, we receive the blessings of grace, peace, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit (vv. 3–7). Though we were once contaminated by sin, God has now cleansed us and made us his holy people through Christ’s perfect sacrifice (“sanctified,” “saints,” v. 2; “guiltless,” v. 8). We can be confident that we can grow in purity because of the faithfulness of God and his Son Jesus, who will “sustain [us] to the end” (vv. 8–9).
The path for growth is clear: the only way we can turn from sin, live a Godhonoring life, and love others with self-sacrifice is by depending upon what God has provided for us in the gospel.
Psalm 62:9-10
9 Those of low estate are but a breath; those of high estate are a delusion; in the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath. 10 Put no trust in extortion; set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, set not your heart on them.
Money is a tempting source of security, but those who belong to Christ have already discovered the greatest Treasure imaginable (cf. Matt. 13:44). Ask God to help you invest your life in the things that will yield the greatest eternal profit (Matt. 6:20).