All In or All Out

August 9

(Luke 18:22-30 NIV) “When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” {23} When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy. {24} Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! {25} Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” {26} Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?” {27} Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” {28} Peter said to him, “We have left all we had to follow you!” {29} “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God {30} will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.”

(Matthew 16:24-27 NIV) “Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. {25} For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. {26} What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? {27} For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.”

Because He loved him, Jesus told the rich young ruler what he didn’t want to hear: “Surrender your wealth and come follow me.” On the surface, the young man had it all, but inside, he was spiritually incomplete. Jesus told him that there was one thing he lacked: he had not completely sold out to God. He was doing all the right stuff, but he had a hole in his heart. When God is not first, there will always be a void and emptiness in our life. Jesus told His disciples that it would be hard for the rich to enter heaven because wealth is a powerful narcotic. When we are constantly seeking its “fix”, we will not likely be seeking God. The rich young ruler wanted eternal life, but he didn’t want to surrender his wealth in order to get it. Jesus told him that when it comes to eternal life, you’re either all in or you’re all out. It’s either sell out and follow Jesus, or go away sad. Are you all in? -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day