A Familiar Verse from a New Perspective

Matthew 19:21 (NIV)

Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."

This verse is extracted from Jesus’ parable of the rich young ruler who had, just moments before, professed his strict adherence to the Commandments, which, in his estimation made him complete. But here, Jesus is telling this young man what it would take for him to be truly complete…not in him but in Him.

First the rich young ruler was instructed to “…go and sell your possessions” – he was required to part with all of his earthly possessions, all that he considered of great value in his life. Jesus was telling him to empty himself of everything he felt he was and had…everything that he defined himself by, his self-exalted identity.

Next, he was required to “…give to the poor” – give himself, in cheerful service, to those who were in lack…not just in need of the material but who were spiritually impoverished. Jesus, considering this young man’s vast knowledge of the Scriptures, was exhorting him not to claim ownership of such but to use this knowledge to enrich the lives of others.

Jesus went on to explain that, by taking these two steps, these acts of selfless love, he would be, in fact, depositing the value of the knowledge of God into the hearts of others, and in so doing he will have treasure in heaven, the Kingdom of heaven within [Matthew 13:44].

Finally, through these acts of compliance, the young man would reveal his intention to become Christ’s true disciple and it’s then Jesus will say, “come, follow Me.”

Are you willing to empty yourself, giving up all your possessions and give to the poor in genuine discipleship?

 When we are willing to give up all that we value most – our independence, our material possessions, our self-reliance, our own efforts, our ‘success’, our friends, our lifestyles, our hard-worked-for positions, our best-Christian perception of ourselves, our “let my light so shine before men, that they may see my good works, and glorify me here on earth” attitudes, and every other ‘valuable’ – only then will we find ourselves complete; only then can we firmly declare, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I lack nothing, because, I am complete in Him” [Psalm 23:1; Colossians 2:9-10].

A Familiar Verse from a New Perspective © 2014 Shelley Johnson 20-May-14