Again, remember...this is my notes, not the 'instructor' notes.
Matthew 19:16-28; Mark 10:17-29; Luke 18:18-29
• It is on the road to Jerusalem that Jesus meets the 'Rich Young Ruler'. This is towards the end of His ministry, when He is continually telling his disciples that He is going to die. Perhaps these stories about denying yourself and letting go are to help prepare the disciples for this.
• The first thing Jesus tells the man to do when asked, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" is "Keep the commandments." Every journey has a beginning and every faith has a foundation. This is sort of 'milk and meat' response. (See 1 Corinthians 3:2)
• "Sell everything and follow me," is the second thing He tells him, after he has already mastered keeping the commandments.
• "It is harder for a rich man to enter the the kingdom of Heaven that for a camel to pass through the eye of the needle." This could be a reference to one of the gates into Jerusalem that is so narrow it was called the "Eye of the Needle."
• There was an idea in Judaism that material prosperity was a sign of a blessing from God. So the holy people would have a lot of riches, so how could it be hard for those people to enter Heaven?!
• For man, then, it is impossible. But with God all things are possible. So, then, we aren't left on our own to find our way...God is there to guide us. But it is not something we can do without God.
• When Jesus tells the disciples that everyone who leaves everything behind and follows Him will be blessed a hundred times fold, note that He doesn't say that those blessings will be material.
Now, what is the main point of the story? Some ideas:
• To follow you have to give everything.
• Christ doesn't just want the legalism of following the commandments.
• If you give up everything for God, you will find Him.
• Wealth is not defined in material possesions but in terms of God.
• With God, all things are possible.
This scripture is the inspiration for monastisism in the Christian church. (St. Anthony the Great - founder of Christian monastisism.)
Complimentary passages:
• 2 Corinthians 13:5 - Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you realize that Christ Jesus is in you-unless, of course, you faith the test?
First, remember, that Christ told the man to keep the commandments - examination of concious begins with the commandments; not necessarily 'have I killed someone' but 'have I killed someone's reputation by gossip,' 'have I hurt someone's esteem,' etc.
In the examination of concious in the Catholic church, the second step is to search the beatitudes; have I kept, found, created peace in my life; have I been humble in my dealings with others, etc.
• Matthew 8:18-22 1st man is asked to leave his home, the comforts of home and hearth. The 2nd man is saying he wants to wait until his parents have passed away before leaving them. (If the father is dead, he shouldn't be here because he is unclean, so probably this is not what was meant.) Perhaps, though, the parents are able to care for themselves and do not need his help.
• Matthew 6:19-24 The true treasure of our heart should not be wealth or material possessions. Store up treasures in heaven - fruit of Spirit; choose to follow Christ, your blessings will be spiritual, laid up in Heaven.
• Luke 18:35-43 The blind man gives up 1) his dignity, when he cries out even while being told to hush & 2) his blindness, which was actually a fairly lucrative business in these times & 3) his home when he followed Jesus.
• Luke 19:1-10 'Today, salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.' Zacchaeus makes space for Jesus in his house, then gives up his wealth. He didn't try to do it on his own, he took Jesus into his house, first.
• Examine yourself for a moment. Is there something you need to leave behind? Is there something that stands between you and the Lord?
A few thoughts:
• Every encounter with God will provoke a crisis. You either leave, or you change.
• Spiritual life begins with moral life. Faith is a process.
• You have to run the race at your own pace...you can't rush your spiritual growth and you can't ask God to wait when He asks you to do something.
