Luke 18:18-30 (Common English Bible):
A certain ruler asked
Jesus, “Good Teacher, what must I do to obtain eternal life?”
Jesus replied, “Why do
you call me good? No one is good except the one God. You know the commandments.
Don’t commit adultery. Don’t murder.
Don’t steal. Don’t give false testimony. Honor your father and mother.”
Then the ruler said,
“I’ve kept all of these things since I was a boy.”
When Jesus heard this,
he said, “There’s one more thing. Sell everything you own and distribute the
money to the poor. Then you will have treasure in heaven. And come, follow me.”
23 When he heard these words, the man became sad because he was
extremely rich.
When Jesus saw this,
he said, “It’s very hard for the wealthy to enter God’s kingdom! It’s easier
for a camel to squeeze through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to
enter God’s kingdom.”
Those who heard this
said, “Then who can be saved?”
Jesus replied, “What
is impossible for humans is possible for God.”
Peter said, “Look, we
left everything we own and followed you.”
Jesus said to them, “I
assure you that anyone who has left house, husband, wife, brothers, sisters,
parents, or children because of God’s kingdom will receive many times more in
this age and eternal life in the coming age.”
I have heard this preached on several times and it is always interpreted that in one way or another to inherit eternal life you have to sell everything, well not everything, but just think about God more than stuff. Now this is not bad, but it might be selling what Jesus is saying short.
The “certain ruler” or in some translations says “rich young ruler” asks: “…what must I do to obtain eternal life?”
How I read this is the ruler is asking: I already have earthly possessions and now I want to possess eternal life.
Jesus response starts with what the ruler already knows, the
commandments, and then; as Jesus often does, he takes it a different
direction. He says, ok so you have the
commandments down, good, but that is not the point, the point is to live life
as part of the Kingdom of God by following me.
The ruler was looking for something to possess and Jesus is asking for him to live as a part of something so much bigger than a possession it is everything, the Kingdom of God!
I think a lot of times; we approach faith and church with the question: “…What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Maybe the better question is “How is God calling me to be a part of bringing the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in Heaven?”
It changes everything; instead of a me focus, it is a Kingdom focus; instead of a task to do, it becomes a way of life; instead of what do I get out of church, it becomes discovering where God is at work and joining in.
What must I do to inherit eternal life? OR
How is God calling me to be a part of bringing the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in Heaven?
Which question are you asking?
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