Money or the Master?

Luke 18:22

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “There is still one thing lacking. Sell all that you own and distribute the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”

One of the most disturbing incidents in the Gospels is Jesus’s conversation with a wealthy young man who wanted to know what he needed to do to gain eternal life. The man said he had kept all of the commandments, so Jesus told him: “There is still one thing lacking. Sell all that you own and distribute the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me” (Luke 12:22).

“Surely Jesus cannot be serious,” we clamour. The disciples too were astonished at how this conversation turned out. They watched the rich man walk sadly away, thinking that following Jesus cost too much. Perhaps the disciples thought to themselves: “The guy has lots of money. He would have made an excellent member of the team. He could have bankrolled your biggest projects, Jesus!”

The radical surgery Jesus prescribed for this wealthy young man was shocking. It’s similar to the radical surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation treatment inflicted on someone who has a life-threatening cancer. Jesus knew the young man was sick and his illness was life-threatening.

Jesus knows precisely when our desire to accumulate wealth becomes a life-threatening cancer that will destroy us if left to run its course. Jesus’s question to the wealthy young man was essentially: ”Which is more important to you, keeping your wealth or following me?” The young man was, like many of us, likely hoping for a third option – “Both!” but that was not offered. While the call to let go of our wealth may seem unnecessary to us, Jesus, who knows our hearts, knows the danger we are in. Jesus knows that wealth tends to distract those who possess it from true life and meaning.

Reflection Questions

Read the rich young man’s story in Luke 18:18-30 again. Ask God through his Spirit to reveal to you what is more important to you, keeping your wealth and possessions or following Jesus? Ask him for the courage to put Jesus first above all things.