The Rich Young Ruler
Luke 18:18-23
[18] A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
[19] "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good -- except God alone. [20] You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'"
[21] "All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said.
[22] 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 a man of great wealth.
[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 a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
[26] Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?"
[27] Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."
[28] Peter said to him, "We have left all we had to follow you!"
[29] "I tell you the truth," Jesus said to them, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers 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."
I'm starting to realize that I have become like the rich young ruler, where I couldn't let go of things that are important to me for his sake. It made me think, that if you really want to follow Jesus, you really have to let go of E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G. For the rich young ruler its his wealth, for some people its a person or a career - but the point is that all of these things are nothing compared to what he is offering you when you follow him. On a personal note, I guess I really have to give up someone... especially because its starting to get in the way with my relationship with God. To be honest, that someone is really special to me and I know this is not going to be easy, and from time to time i'll be looking for that person... hoping that we could be friends again... but i just have to let go of my friendship with this person if i really want to continue following Jesus.
I know I'm just stating what we all know already, but we all know how hard letting go of everything in his name is. I don't know what's going to happen to be honest. I don't know after I try to move on, Maybe I'll forget this person.. Maybe we'll really just drift so far apart from each other that we'd be like total strangers after. I don't know if we'll ever be friends again or not... but then again I guess what God offers will be always more important that what I might lose. I just don't know anymore =( The only thing I know is that the right thing to do is for me to just trust in Him alone.
[18] A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
[19] "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good -- except God alone. [20] You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'"
[21] "All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said.
[22] 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 a man of great wealth.
[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 a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
[26] Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?"
[27] Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."
[28] Peter said to him, "We have left all we had to follow you!"
[29] "I tell you the truth," Jesus said to them, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers 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."
I'm starting to realize that I have become like the rich young ruler, where I couldn't let go of things that are important to me for his sake. It made me think, that if you really want to follow Jesus, you really have to let go of E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G. For the rich young ruler its his wealth, for some people its a person or a career - but the point is that all of these things are nothing compared to what he is offering you when you follow him. On a personal note, I guess I really have to give up someone... especially because its starting to get in the way with my relationship with God. To be honest, that someone is really special to me and I know this is not going to be easy, and from time to time i'll be looking for that person... hoping that we could be friends again... but i just have to let go of my friendship with this person if i really want to continue following Jesus.
I know I'm just stating what we all know already, but we all know how hard letting go of everything in his name is. I don't know what's going to happen to be honest. I don't know after I try to move on, Maybe I'll forget this person.. Maybe we'll really just drift so far apart from each other that we'd be like total strangers after. I don't know if we'll ever be friends again or not... but then again I guess what God offers will be always more important that what I might lose. I just don't know anymore =( The only thing I know is that the right thing to do is for me to just trust in Him alone.