One Thing Lacking

Luke 18:18-43

When Jesus heard this, he said to him "there is still one thing lacking. Sell all that you own and distribute the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me."

Luke 18:22

Jesus' conversation with the rich ruler goes to the heart of what it means to be a disciple. The man wants to know "what must I do to inherit eternal life" (Luke 18:18). Jesus then turns the question back to the ten commandments as a way of telling him that he already knows what to do--he just needs to do it. By the way, if this questions sounds familiar it is the exact same question that a lawyer asked Jesus in Luke 10:25 to which he responds with the story of the Good Samaritan. In both stories, Jesus responds to the question by putting forth a prophetic and challenging word. In one case, that a Samaritan was most faithful and in this case that a rich man must sell all his possessions and give them to the poor. Both stories imply that the person who thinks they are faithful lacks one thing: either acting to help others or putting God first.

Jesus' challenge to the rich man is a first commandment challenge. The man is focused on himself--what must I do to inherit eternal life. He doesn't ask Jesus "what must I do to be faithful to God" but is only focused on the reward of eternal life. The rich man has spent his life accumulating wealth and putting wealth above all things. The challenge Jesus gives is to sell it all and then come and follow is devastating for the man. He does not know who he is without his wealth. His wealth has become his god and it is idolatrous.

Becoming a follower of Jesus requires complete obedience. We cannot put anything else before God in our lives. This is incredibly difficult for all of us, not just those who are wealthy. We can be tempted to put our family, career, or desires before God and they can become gods in our lives. No doubt, like the rich man, we will then convince ourselves that we are not making these things above God but if we are honest and look at our behavior we can see that we all have room to grow in our obedience. Putting God first is a daily decision and requires a faithful and humble heart. May God grant us the strength.