Come, Follow Me

"Which ones?" he inquired.

Jesus replied, "You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself."

"All these I have kept", the young man said. "What do I still lack?"

Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."

Matthew 19:18-24 (NIV)

This man was determined to do all the right things. He was even self-confident enough to state that he had kept all the commandments mentioned by Jesus. Its as if this man had a hole in his heart. He was working hard to qualify himself before God, doing his best to perform according to the law, but deep in his being he knew there was something missing. He needed to experience the heart of the Father. And there Jesus was, the perfect representation of the Father, counseling and teaching him. Jesus perceived that the love of riches had a hold on this mans heart. And in order to set him free, Jesus instructed him to let it all go, Then come, follow me. This was not the answer Jesus gave to everyone who asked what it took to follow Him. So many believers just assume they need to give away all their possessions. In this mans case, it was precisely what he needed to do to follow Jesus. But Jesus saying to you, Come, follow me may not mean, Sell all your possessions and give to the poor. Yes, He empowers us to obey Him no matter the cost so we are ready to give up everything we have. But following Jesus may also look like praying for the sick in your city, prophesying over your colleague at work, training your children to hear the voice of their heavenly Father, creating wealth through a business built on Kingdom values the list goes on. Following Jesus is a lifestyle, and today it may look like changing your mind about how you see Him and how you see yourself.