Deserve

Luke 18:18-27 (The Message)

18 One day one of the local officials asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to deserve eternal life?"

19-20 Jesus said, "Why are you calling me good? No one is good—only God. You know the commandments, don't you? No illicit sex, no killing, no stealing, no lying, honor your father and mother."

21 He said, "I've kept them all for as long as I can remember."

22 When Jesus heard that, he said, "Then there's only one thing left to do: Sell everything you own and give it away to the poor. You will have riches in heaven. Then come, follow me."

23 This was the last thing the official expected to hear. He was very rich and became terribly sad. He was holding on tight to a lot of things and not about to let them go.

24-25 Seeing his reaction, Jesus said, "Do you have any idea how difficult it is for people who have it all to enter God's kingdom? I'd say it's easier to thread a camel through a needle's eye than get a rich person into God's kingdom."

26 "Then who has any chance at all?" the others asked.

27 "No chance at all," Jesus said, "if you think you can pull it off by yourself. Every chance in the world if you trust God to do it."

I feel sympathy for this good, successful, "local official" who comes to see Jesus.

He seems earnest in his question about eternal life. But it's just the wrong question.

"What must I do to deserve eternal life?"

Another way to say that same thing is, "what do I need to do to earn eternal life?"

How much fun would Christmas be if your kids came and asked what they need to do to "earn" their presents?

Well, then again, that might be nice for the pocketbook...but it sure would take the fun out of gift-giving.

If I've earned something, then it's certainly not a gift at all. It's just what I deserve. I got it under my own power.

Many times, we're tempted to see this encounter as a commentary on wealth. And certainly, to some degree, that's what it is.

But it's only a commentary on wealth, in that wealth can trick us into believing that we are somehow autonomous, and independent of God.

It's also a good reminder of the attachment that the things of this world can hold for us.

What is Jesus trying to say to his disciples? Why is it easier to put a camel through the eye of a needle? Why such strong language?

Jesus, as always, gives us the answer...

"No chance at all if you think you can pull it off by yourself...every chance in the world if you trust that God can do it."

The lesson?

Learn to let go. If it's all a gift...undeserved...then I can afford to be dependent. It means I'll have to stop defending my pride and my false ideas of self-worth. But what a glorious freedom that would bring.

Prayer: Teach us the lessons of this rich official. Forgive us for trying to do it ourselves, and blaming you when things go wrong. May we learn to be humble, free in you, and totally aware of our own dependence.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.