Luke 18:18-30

A certain ruler asked him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

Jesus asked him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good, except one—God. You know the commandments: ‘Don’t commit adultery,’ ‘Don’t murder,’ ‘Don’t steal,’ ‘Don’t give false testimony,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’”

He said, “I have observed all these things from my youth up.”

When Jesus heard these things, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have, and distribute it to the poor. You will have treasure in heaven. Come, follow me.”

But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was very rich.

Jesus, seeing that he became very sad, said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter into the Kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to enter in through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God.”

Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?”

But he said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”

Peter said, “Look, we have left everything, and followed you.”

He said to them, “Most certainly I tell you, there is no one who has left house, or wife, or brothers, or parents, or children, for the Kingdom of God’s sake, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the world to come, eternal life.”

It is interesting that those who appear to have everything still know in their hearts that they are lacking something. This shows us that no matter how much money a person gets it won’t make them satisfied with life. Even though this man had almost everything he wanted, he was still concerned that he may have failed to “inherited eternal life.” Something must have been going on inside his mind and in his life to make him aware of this.

The Bible tells us that being satisfied is something that mature Christians have no matter if they are rich or poor. Listen to what the Apostle Paul said:

Philippians 4:11-13

Not that I speak in respect to lack, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content in it. I know how to be humbled, and I know also how to abound. In everything and in all things I have learned the secret both to be filled and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in need. I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.

No matter if we have a lot of money, or are falling short, it is still Christ who strengthens us. He knows what is going on and He is capable to give us the strength we need. It appears that this man needed to know how to deal with money and still realize that it is only by Jesus that He was to be empowered. To be continued…