Focus
Pay attention to the tension in your body. Let go of it and any expectations to do anything other than God’s will today. Prepare yourself to hear God’s word.
Read
The Rich Ruler
18 A certain ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery. You shall not murder. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness. Honor your father and mother.’ ” 21 He replied, “I have kept all these since my youth.” 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.” 23 But when he heard this, he became sad, for he was very rich. 24 Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for those who have wealth 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 it said, “Then who can be saved?” 27 He replied, “What is impossible for mortals is possible for God.”
28 Then Peter said, “Look, we have left our homes and followed you.” 29 And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30 who will not get back very much more in this age and in the age to come eternal life.”
Reflect
We sang the old hymn, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” last week at church. I was thinking of all the qualities of a friend and the hymn leaves one out. That is the quality of accountability. A good friend can tell us the truth. A good friend makes us better. In this passage, we see that Jesus knows the innermost needs of the rich young ruler. Jesus was honest with the young man, not to be mean, but to spur him on to the kingdom of God. A good friend challenges us to become better. Jesus as a good friend “knows our every weakness” and like a good friend, Jesus “hast promised Thou wilt all our burdens bear.”
Pray
Lord, thank you for challenging me to be better but also for walking side by side with me. Amen.
Go with God.