(Nameun Cho)
Matthew 19:13-30 Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, 14but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” 15And he laid his hands on them and went away.
16And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” 17And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” 18He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, 19Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 20The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” 21Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
23And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. 24Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 25When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” 26But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” 27Then Peter said in reply, “See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” 28Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. 30But many who are first will be last, and the last first.
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Our reading today focuses on Jesus’ interaction with a rich, young man seeking salvation. Assuming the man’s intentions in seeking the kingdom of God are genuine, Jesus engages him in a conversation revolving around the obedience to Mosaic Law. In order to attain eternal life, Jesus lists for him several of the 10 Commandments to make sure to keep. More specifically, the Commandments that Jesus first lists to follow are #5 through #9 (v. 18-19a).
If we take a step back to overview how the 10 Commandments are categorized, the first four deal with how we love God with all our heart, mind, soul, strength (cf. 22:37), while the latter six deal with loving our neighbors as ourselves (v. 19b; cf. 22:39). Peculiarly, the 10th Commandment is left out in this conversation. Perhaps because the rich man may have seen himself as exempt from a context in which he could covet anything in life; he already had everything! Omnisciently, Jesus likely knew that arrogance and left it out as well. The young man’s integrity is put to question as to how he relates with other people. He seemingly passes that test because he claims to have kept those particular Commandments all his life.
As Jesus and the young man continue, they then begin to engage in the topic of his wealth. Right then, the heart of the issue comes to surface. While the man may have been following the letter of the law of the Commandments dealing with neighbors, he was glaringly missing the essence of the greatest commandment to fully love God. His idolatry for earthly wealth prohibited him from keeping the first four Commandments that encompassed a comprehensive love for God. To that realization, he walks away discouraged, knowing the spiritual mountain he must climb to overcome his temptations.
It is no accident that Matthew begins this section of teaching with the episode of the little children flocking to Jesus. In order to trust God unconditionally, we must orient ourselves with childlike faith towards him.
The other day, I was reflecting on how old I was when my parents were the age I am today. Faced with the pressures and responsibilities of providing for my family, I tried to place myself back in the shoes of a young child when my parents felt those same burdens I do. Admittedly, I had no idea of the kinds of worries or stress they must have felt at that time. At eight or nine years old, I didn’t have to worry about a mortgage, or stacking bills, or putting food on the table, or making sure I got a good education. But I had the trust (perhaps even naivete) in my loving parents that everything was going to be OK. To their credit, they pulled off their efforts to conceal any anxiety, as I felt a deep security in feeling the utmost safety in their care.
How much more are we called to anchor our trust in our Heavenly Father? What better assurance do we have that our worth is validated than when we gaze upon a Savior who did not count equality with God something to be grasped, but instead emptied himself for us on the Cross (Phil. 2:6-8)? Rather than being soothed with an intermittent sense of earthly security, we can run to God with abandon, knowing that the firm foundation of the gospel will never crack or wither away. Brothers and sisters, take heart in knowing that God has made all things possible for us in Jesus Christ.
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An audio version of each devotion will be posted on our church podcast “Life Together at CRPC,” which is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.