Today I want to continue some thoughts about the story of the rich young man who encounters Jesus. Last time we laid out the story and saw that perhaps the most important point is that without God, no one can enter the Kingdom. Today I want to share some thoughts about money/materialism and how it relates to the Kingdom.
It seems to me that we are really, really confused on this topic in the Western Church.
Today I want to begin to talk about one of the most used passages in scripture. It tells of the encounter between a wealthy, moral young man and Jesus.
The story is told in Matthew 19, Mark 10 and Luke 18. They all tell the same story. A man comes up to Jesus and says to Jesus, “Good teacher. What things must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus responds by asking why he calls him good? He says God is good, and if you want to be good, follow the commandments.
The man answers that he has kept all of the commandments since his youth. He does not lie, murder, commit adultery etc. It then says that Jesus looked at him and loved him. He said this, “One thing you lack. Go and sell all your possessions, give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, then come and follow me.” The man then went away sad because he had great wealth.
More Than Don't Have Sex 