And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” 21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
A drunk openly asks why he should get sober if he is only going to get drunk again. Boys use the same reasoning at bath time. The rich young ruler, like the Philippian jailer in Acts 16, must have wondered why he should sell everything. Jesus addressed his heart, not any actions that would save him. His point was that the man was a slave to the world’s wealth. Jesus said you will always have the poor with you because of man’s faithlessness. He also commanded the church to help the poor. This was also a stipulation from James, Peter, and John, to Paul when his ministry began.
This does not tell us to sell everything and we would be saved, nor does it say that helping the poor saves you. Conversely, the fact that the poor will always be with us has been seen as a reason not to help them at all. God’s law in Deuteronomy 15, commands an open hand, and in Matthew 25, Jesus equates helping the poor with helping him. May we avoid both of these extreme errors and simply love God with all our heart and love our neighbor as ourselves.
Dear Lord, thank you for the blessings you have given us on earth, especially our salvation. May we, with an open hand, share all these blessings with our neighbor. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pastor Brad Boyer
Cape Community Church