Week of May 3

A funny cartoon caught my eye because an overweight, unkempt man was lying on a couch with all sorts of junk food wrappers and empty beverage cans on the floor. The caption read that he had achieved his daily goal of taking zero exercise steps. “Under-motivated” would be a good way to describe the man! If you have ever found it extremely difficult to dedicate yourself to a consistent spiritual routine, then this passage is for you. Jesus begins the latter section of Matthew 19 with a solemn vow, “I tell you the truth,” and it catches my eye—and I hope it catches yours, too. He has something to say directly into our hearts this day and we want to listen.

Let’s take a wide-angle view of Matthew 19. This chapter presents us with a clear example of the situation Christ often faced (cf. Matthew 10:34-39, esp. v. 39; not peace but a sword). In this case, the religious leaders asked adversarial questions of the Lord, but a wealthy young man sincerely approached Jesus (19:16, 22). He realized that all he had done to bring satisfaction in life had not brought him fulfillment! 

Think for a moment about how we define the pinnacle of success. This man was young, wealthy, and held a prominent position—perhaps a synagogue ruler (cf. NAC). He had it all, but found that “all” was not enough. He pursued hollow success and fell down the proverbial rabbit hole in pursuit of the wrong things. The young man truly wanted to know how he might close the void that was left in his heart (19:16). His search was for ultimate meaning, and Matthew shows us that this deepest meaning is wrapped up in “eternal life.” He, like all humanity, longed for the transcendent because he had been made that way by his Creator!

I cannot help but think that these disciples were re-living a few thousand years of ancient Israelite history in these moments. Jesus was calling for the type of radical commitment that their forefathers and mothers had failed miserably to uphold. We see this regular cycle of commitment, followed by rebellion, in our companion passage today (e.g., Psalm 106:6-7, 13-15, 19-21, & 34-39). Jesus zeroes in on a case study in stubborn materialism, the rich young ruler, and how difficult it is for the wealthy to surrender to kingdom priorities (19:23). It is not so much the wealth that is the obstacle, because we all have seen similar failure in those who live with meager means, but it is the prideful self-sufficiency that rubs regularly against the heart and causes spiritual callousness (cf. Matthew 5:3).

I am certainly not climbing onto the back of the wealthy, for there are many who are extraordinarily dependent upon the Lord (note: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; EBC). Jesus uses an analogy in verse 24 that helps us to see His meaning. In hyperbolic fashion He describes the utter silliness of a camel trying to pass through the eye of a needle (cf. “the narrow door” in 7:13-14; NAC). He teaches us that a heart, swollen with pride, cannot squeeze through the needle’s eye of beneficial service to the poor, nor does it want to attempt this demonstration of love for one’s neighbor! In Jesus’s day, most people assumed that wealth was a sign of God’s blessing, but the Lord challenged this misconception. Do you find yourself asking, “Well, who can be saved, then?!” His disciples blurted out this question because their entire value-system was being turned upside down.

To be “saved” is equivalent to entering the kingdom of God (cf. v. 24) or receiving eternal life (v. 16). So, if rich men, who are blessed of God, are not shoe-ins for the kingdom, then who is going to fill those shoes? Perhaps Jesus motions for them to turn their eyes away from the rich young ruler and points toward heaven. The salvation of any person, including the wealthy, is impossible; but with God all things are possible (v. 26; cf. Genesis 18:14; Job 42:2; and Psalm 106: 8, 47)!

Peter raises his hand and speaks for the group: “We have given up everything to follow you . . .” (v. 27). In other words, “We thought that we were giving up a fairly good lifestyle to receive even more. We deserve better than this.” Jesus does not criticize them for being money-grubbing, but He opens their eyes to see the greater scope of a “new world,” where they cannot even begin to imagine the blessings. One thing they can know for certain is that the key to this new world will not be placed in the hands of the unbelieving wealthy, powerful, and influential (v. 30a).

I want to be clear that I am not pointing a finger of judgment at anyone. It is always easier to tell someone else how to spend their money than it is to focus on how we spend our own! Can you relate? I will focus on one values-challenging perennial need, which is hunger, by looking through the lens of the Baptist Center for Global Concerns’ Mary’s Table® ministry to those living with very low food security. 

Very low food security, formerly titled “food insecurity,” means “reports of multiple indications of disrupted eating patterns and reduced food intake.” I am confident that most of us know that the solution to hunger requires more than simply handing out food. It includes promoting good nutrition, improving food access, and laying the foundation for better education, employment, and stable housing. The deeply distressed people in Hood County, where I live, often reside in rural places, away from access to food, have severely limited means of transportation, and face regular displacement from housing. 

I see the insecurity about food, transportation, and housing in the eyes of the women who walk through our doors, AND Jesus asks me what I—not the organization—am ready to change for Him to be their security. You see, I can hand out food, but fail to be the heart and hands of Christ to feed the entire being of people in need. Why? My consumer-oriented heart too often leaves only crumbs for Christ to use. Crumbs? I cling to my own free time and cash flow, which hinders my kingdom-of-heaven-usefulness to Him to touch their hearts with present and eternal hope (19:19b, 21, and 29). In other words, the hungry often do not see that I, myself, am hungry for the type of change that Christ requires in order to possess eternal hope.

Zygmunt Baumen was a social theorist who spent a career examining social issues that are common to our generation. He stated that part of the problem with people is that their lives are “fragmented.” This perspective means that they are looking side-to-side for peace in every way possible—e.g., possessions, status, relationships—but never looking up for the transcendent. Helping people to make the moral connection between the “liquidity” of this life and the solid foundation of eternal life is what Jesus did that day with the rich man. We need to do the same today. Show Christ to people by reaching into their moral lost-ness and giving them a hand up onto the Savior’s solid ground!

1. We all have been influenced by “influence” in one way or another. Whether it be wealth, power, or sway, we are often tempted to veer off the straight path that leads to life for the wide path that leads to destruction. In what specific ways has life’s allure hindered your total discipleship? Renew your commitment to follow Christ with every bit of your being.

2. For Families: This might be a good week, following this devotional, to take up an exercise in the “last being first, and the first being last.” This week, invite your kids to an experiment that will train their hearts, if they pay attention, to follow Christ more closely.

Every time your kids jostle about being “first,” or line up for meals, or call the best seats in the car, or respond to receive something you are handing out, let the first step to the back of the line, and the last one step to the front. This will be uncomfortable for them at the onset, because it feels a bit unfair. “After all,” they might say, “I was here first.” Each time this happens, however, explain again why you are doing this. It helps train us to be less selfish.

Jesus is trying to teach us in this passage and devotional that constantly “getting” things does not fill the void of hunger in us. Share with your kids that only Jesus can satisfy that “urge to take.” Invite your children instead to be “givers” in the name of Jesus, and to bow our hearts to Him alone. Jesus is enough.

May your paths be straight,
Larry C. Ashlock