Responding to God’s Call

KEY VERSE: “Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: Sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” —Luke 18:22

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Luke 18:18-30

THE young man of our lesson was earnest enough in seeking eternal life through Jesus, and inquired what he must do in order to obtain it. According to his own testimony, he had kept the commandments as best he could. But this was not enough. Jesus told him that now he would need to sell all he had and give to the poor, and take up his cross, and follow the Master. If he would do this, Jesus said, he would have treasure in heaven.

This young man was very wealthy, and was not willing to pay the price of discipleship, so he went away sorrowful. It is also quite possible that he did not understand Jesus’ reference to treasure in ‘heaven’. After all, he had not asked for a heavenly reward of any kind. He had merely asked how he might continue to live. Perhaps, in addition to being sorrowful, he also went away somewhat perplexed over the meaning of what the Master had said to him. Up to that time no heavenly reward had ever been offered to the Lord’s faithful people. This was a new aspect of the divine plan which shortly was to be opened up; namely, the heavenly calling of the present age.

The history of this age has proved that although not many rich have been called by God to walk in the narrow way of sacrifice, there have been some. Jesus taught that it would be difficult for those who have riches to enter into the kingdom of heaven—as difficult as for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle. (Matt. 19:23,24) At least this is the way it is stated in the Common Version. It is believed that the “needle’s eye” reference is to a small gate in the walls of Jerusalem called the Needle’s Eye, and that a camel could go through this gate only if it kneeled down, its load removed, and it was helped through.

The lesson taught by our Lord is easily seen.’ The possession of riches, in combination with selfishness, leads to a measure of self-satisfaction by reason of the temporal advantage which wealth supplies. The riches here referred to need not mean money alone: one might be rich in musical talent, or art, or mental endowment and personality which would bring him into a place of influence among men. Our Lord declared that it is difficult for one rich in temporal advantages to divest himself of his riches and unselfishly devote them to God. But this must be done before he can gain entrance to the heavenly kingdom, just as the camel had to ‘unload’ before passing through the Needle’s Eye.

This does not mean that a person who is rich should make a foolish, wasteful disposition of his wealth or talents; rather, it is to recognize the full meaning of consecration to God. The child of God unselfishly consecrates his all to divine service, to be used not for his own gratification, but as a faithful steward to the glory of the Lord.

Dedicated Christians will not permit the love of money to become dominant in their lives. Indeed, while realizing the value of money, their love will be for God, who they know will permit them to have just the amount of this world’s riches which will be best for them as new creatures in Christ Jesus. These will be content with whatever the Lord’s providence permits them to have, and will feel rich because of the assurance that God is blessing them.

To be overly anxious about the material needs of life is not wise for a Christian. As Jesus reminded us, the Lord knows of what we have need, and will supply our needs according to the abundance of his grace. “They that will be rich,” Paul wrote, “fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.” (I Tim. 6:9) Christians who do this are the ones illustrated in the parable of the sower, as those who grew up among thorns which eventually destroyed them.—Matt. 13:7,22

True wealth does not consist of the abundance of that which a man possesses. (Luke 12:15) II Corinthians 8:9 explains, “Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.” Surely the eternal riches of his kingdom and the riches of “wisdom and knowledge” (Col. 2:3) cannot be compared with the deceitfulness of this world’s wealth. Let us, each one, thank God for the heavenly treasures, the hope of eternal life, and the riches of his grace which daily keep us from falling.

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