Matthew 19:26 NKJV
[26] But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
In continuation of the focus from two days ago, where we had seen Jesus engage with children and bless them, we continue with the events in the same chapter. We note that as several times during His earthly ministry, Jesus was always in the midst of a crowd, but He did not let that get into His head, or even distract Him from the work that needed to be done. As much as the crowd loved to hear Him speak, and also see Him perform amazing miracles, He would not let Himself be fooled by applause or human approval. Like Jesus, I am warned not to let people's views determine my priorities. Jesus would minister Truth to the people, but give them the power to process and then respond as they thought fit. God does not force Himself on anyone, and He will not go against the exercise of my freewill, but if I let Him, there is no end to the possibilities that are in store for me. That is my first lesson here.
It was from His interaction with the crowd that a young man came to Him. This young man was described as both rich and young, so he had a lot of good things going for him. He had time to serve God with his strength, as well as resources to help the work. As I strive to make impact, I must strive to start early and start well. It is never too late for anyone to be saved, but effective ministry will take a lot from you. If you are able to start young, it really helps. This young man also was rich. He could afford most things his contemporaries may struggle to get. As we see in the story, being rich was not the problem; it was the fact that what he held in his hands had more value to him than what God could give him. How many times have I sacrificed the eternal for the temporal and the ephemeral? How many times have I given up because things were too hard, and taken the easy option? How can I find my way back to where God would have me be?
In the view of Jesus, it is hard for a man who trusts in riches to enter into the kingdom of God. Riches are good, but like all good things, I must know its place, uses and limitations, so that it does not take the place of God in my heart. Like the rich, young ruler who could not imagine a life without the props of riches, i must be careful not to equate wealth with relevance from God's perspective. As far as the disciples were concerned, if it was hard for the rich to enter into the kingdom of heaven, then it would be hard for anyone to be saved. From God's perspective, knowing whose you are and what you command keeps you grounded. You never forget your source, and you do not outgrow your sustenance. With man, many things are impossible, but in the hands of God, nothing is impossible, as long as I can trust Him with everything. Would you? God's time of favour is here.
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