Monday, May 23, 2016

23 May 2016 - lacking one thing



“You are lacking in one thing.
Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor
and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”
At that statement, his face fell,
and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

We are all lacking this to one degree or another. We all have areas where we put ourselves first, earth second, and Heaven third. We need to realize the massive value of heaven... 

an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading,
kept in heaven for you

and of our faith...

more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire

...in such a way that it actually affects how we live.

If we can we attain the goal of faith, the salvation of our souls. But how hard this is for those who have wealth. And we all have wealth. How hard to is for us to enter the Kingdom of God. How hard indeed. Not just hard, in fact, but impossible.

Jesus looked at them and said,
“For men it is impossible, but not for God.
All things are possible for God.”

The call to follow Jesus is impossible for us. We live in the world and make use of the world. But to use the world without being consumed and owned by it is not something we can do perfectly. We still lack that one thing. But even so, Jesus calls us.

Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor
and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.

And he himself gives us the grace to follow. This is why not just heaven that is the treasure. Our faith which we possess right now is the treasure that relativizes all earthly treasure by grace. So let us give him thanks.

I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart
in the company and assembly of the just.
Great are the works of the LORD,
exquisite in all their delights.


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