Jesus said to him, “If you want to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property Matthew 19:21-22
The passage above is the response Jesus gave to the rich young man who asked him about gaining eternal life. The young man had already given his bona fides about keeping the commandments, so Jesus went right to the heart of the matter- literally. He told the young man to use his riches to help those who could not help themselves. Jesus was looking for a heart that loves people, not simply a follower of the commandments.
This makes me think of the situation today where there is a small percentage of people who own a large percentage of the nation’s wealth. The question for these people is not “how much do you have”, but rather “how much will you keep?” Many people in America today have wealth far beyond need. Indeed, our capitalist society has been incredibly successful in making an economy that could never have been dreamed of in earlier ages. Yet, that same question remains about our heart condition. How much of our wealth do we keep, and how much do we give away?
Jesus is always interested in our heart. Is it directed toward the needs of others, or do we look away and hoard our wealth?
Prayer: Lord, you look upon the heart of people. Help us to do the same as we look at ourselves, Amen
