Trinkets For Treasure

Scripture:
Luke 18:18-30 (ESV)

And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.” When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For 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.” Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” And Peter said, “See, we have left our homes and followed you.” And he said to them, “Truly, I say to 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, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.”

Devotional:

“…Why do you call me good?  No one is good except God alone.” Luke 18:19 (ESV) Jesus starts of asking the question, why do you call me good.  He then tells the ruler that only God is good.  Here we are given a clue to who Jesus is.  Later Jesus ends verse 22 with “…One thing you still lack.  Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

What makes it so hard to let go of the things of the world?  We seek wealth, fame, and fortune.  The more power you have the higher your success.  Yet Jesus tells us to let it all go.  Matthew 6:24 (NASB) states:

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

So the question to ask is who do you serve?  If we are serving God, then we should want to leave worldly things behind.  If we serve the world, then all we have is what is here and now.  It is difficult to let go of what is known for something unknown.  

I heard a story once about a little girl who wanted a toy pearl necklace.  She got her necklace and loved it so much.  She didn’t want to ever give it up.  One night when the father was putting her to bed he asked her if she loved him.  She answered yes.  He then asked for her necklace.  She couldn’t let it go.  This went on for several nights.  How often do we hear God asking us if we love Him?  Obviously we answer yes Lord I love You.  Then God asks us to give something precious up.  How many times do we fail to let go?  We just cannot bring ourselves to it.  Finally one night when the father asks the questions she hesitantly gives it to him.  Without missing a beat he hands her a real pearl necklace identical to the toy one.  How much more valuable is the real necklace?  How much more will the little girl love it over the cheap toy?  She didn’t know what she was going to receive until she gave up what she had.  

We will not know what God has in mind for us until we are ready to give up what we have.  Like the real pearl necklace our treasures in heaven are far more valuable than what we can manage here on earth.  There are three thoughts I have from today’ scripture.  The first is that Jesus clarified that He is the Son of God.  Second thought is who are we serving?  The answer to that will determine what we are willing to let go, even for the unknown.  Third and finally we cannot receive the greater treasures from God until we give up the trinkets of the world.  God will bless us and give to us.  We just have to be willing to give it all up.  Even though He gives it to us we are only stewards of what is given.  In the end it all belongs to Him anyway.