“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.’” (Matt 19:21)
Sin to Confess
This rich young ruler was given the special privilege to leave everything behind and to come and follow Jesus. Yet, he could not leave his great possessions, neither could he sell all of them and give them away to the poor! Can’t we have both riches and follow Christ at the same time? Is it necessarily wrong to have possessions and still be able to follow Jesus? I think the question of who owns our hearts is the main issue. The rich young ruler had to make a choice between his possessions and following Christ. Well, he left Christ and went back to his possessions. Think about this ... Who is the Lord of your life? Are your possessions and bank account more valuable to you than the Lord Jesus Christ?
Promise to Claim
Whatever you have given generously out of obedience and love for the Lord will one day come back to you as your treasure in heaven. What you have given away is never actually lost. It’s called an investment, which you are laying up in heaven. When you value God’s kingdom on earth and sacrifice generously to give for the Lord, God gives it back to you someday, as you will have treasure in heaven. Such a wonderful promise from the Lord! As much as giving is not easy, and some people consider it a loss, yet, in God’s perspective, you receive double blessings when you give! “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). You are blessed in your inner self, when you give to the Lord. Also, you will be blessed in heaven someday! We don’t know exactly what kind of treasure we will receive in heaven, but the value is definitely eternal!
Example to Follow
The Lord Jesus was infinitely rich in heaven, yet for our sake, He left His glorious kingdom to become poor so that by His poverty, we might become rich (1Cor 8:9)! What a perfect model He has shown us! In one sense, we have to realize that anyone who chooses to respond to His call of giving up everything, and following and serving Him, also chooses to follow Him in His footsteps of poverty. It doesn’t mean though that one will live as desperately as a poor, and be totally destitute and hungry. On the other hand, He promised to provide for all of our needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus! Yet, to follow Christ is to abandon a devotion to riches, and to embrace simplicity of life for His glory and honor. Or simply put, it is to abandon love for money, but choosing to love Him above all else.
Command to Obey
Christ never calls everyone to sell all their possessions, to give them all to the poor, and to follow Him. He told the rich young ruler that if he wanted to be perfect, on top of obeying the Law, he can give up everything, and follow Christ. He was given this one time opportunity to become part of His team of disciples, and to join Him in ministry. Not all are given such a wonderful privilege! Yet, sad to say, he rejected the offer. If a similar offer is given to you, how will you respond?
Knowledge about God
Have you ever thought why Christ considers perfection as total abandonment of all possessions, giving up all rights and ownership to all of one’s possessions, and giving them all up to the poor? In one way, this may reveal the heart of God. He reveals His love for the poor and needy. Isn’t it an irony that perfection, from God’s perspective, is to become poor yourself? Isn’t it also coincidental that Christ aligned Himself and His life on earth with the poor (i.e., He had nowhere to lay His head, He became poor, etc.)? When you and I reach the point that we are totally helpless, utterly possession-less, we then can be totally dependent on Him for everything. As a result, we can truly walk by faith, and trust Him for each and every single moment in life. He is near those who are broken hearted (Ps 34:18) and perhaps, also to those who are totally "broke" for He Himself was despised, and forsaken – totally crushed, so that through Him, we might become whole!
Life Application:
Can we dedicate and submit all that we possess under His Lordship and total ownership?
