Daily Scripture: Matthew 19:16 A man approached Yeshua and said, “Rabbi, what good thing should I do in order to have eternal life?” He said to him, 17 “Why are you asking me about good? There is One who is good! But if you want to obtain eternal life, observe the mitzvot.” 18 The man asked him, “Which ones?” and Yeshua said, “Don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t give false testimony [Matthew 19:18 Exodus 20:13(13–16); Deuteronomy 5:17(17–20)] 19 honor father and mother [Matthew 19:19 Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16] and love your neighbor as yourself.”[Matthew 19:19 Leviticus 19:18] 20 The young man said to him, “I have kept all these; where do I still fall short?” 21 Yeshua said to him, “If you are serious about reaching the goal, go and sell your possessions, give to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come, follow me!” 22 But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he was wealthy.
Reflection Questions:
A rich young man asked Jesus how to find eternal life. Jesus gave him a straightforward answer, but the young man couldn’t bring himself to act on that answer. The story was less about the young man’s wealth than it was about the spiritual condition that led him to cling to his wealth at all costs. He “went away saddened”—he wanted to follow Jesus—but not if following meant doing whatever Jesus asked him to do.- This story confronts us with a difficult question. As we picture the young man dejectedly walking away from Jesus, the story prompts us to ask, “Which of my possessions, if any, are so precious to me that I’d choose them over Jesus?” We know how the young man answered the question in the gospel of Matthew. What is your honest answer today?
- Jeremiah 31:33 said, “I will put my Instructions within them and engrave them on their hearts.” The young man testified, perhaps proudly, that God’s instructions were in his mind, but his sad decision showed that they hadn’t quite reached his heart. Not ready to change, he refused Jesus’ call to new priorities. Do you obey God’s instructions out of a sense of duty or family pressure, out of heartfelt love for God and others—or not at all?
Today’s Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I want to follow you, all the way to eternal life in your kingdom. Work with me to make that a true heart commitment, and not just good words I think I ought to say. Amen.Insights from Janelle Gregory
Lord Jesus, I want to follow you, all the way to eternal life in your kingdom. Work with me to make that a true heart commitment, and not just good words I think I ought to say. Amen.Insights from Janelle Gregory
Janelle Gregory serves on the Resurrection staff as a Human Resources Specialist.
I’ve got the perfect thing to do if you ever want to create a really awkward situation in a group. I used to do it with my family at the dinner table when I was in high school. I’d simply turn to one of my parents and ask, “Who do you like better – me or Landon (my brother)?”
They’d look at me, my brother would look at me, and we’d sit there in silence as they tried to figure out if I was serious – which, of course, I wasn’t… mostly. I found it entertaining, but what a terrible thing to do to somebody! Asking them to pick a favorite – and right in front of the other person at that!
Yet we are often faced with that question as we choose to follow Jesus. We understand who Jesus is, and what He desires for us. And so we choose him. That is, until something seemingly more attractive enters the picture – be it money, pride, lust, relationships, work – you name it. And whether consciously or subconsciously, we are asked the question, “Who do you like better?” And that’s where it gets dicey.
We can very well love Jesus, but then what if Jesus gets in the way of our desire to watch sports? Or what about that trip we want to take? Or the new house we want to buy? Or the recognition we could get? Who do we like better?
I wish that the answer was always Jesus, but as the song says, “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love.” Like a moth to the flame, we are often drawn to things that move us away from rather than closer to Jesus. Is wayward tendency just part of who we are? Yes. But it is also a product of forgetting why we love and first chose Jesus.
We love Jesus for his deep compassion. We love him for his astounding wisdom. We love him for his selfless humility. We love him for his heart for the lost and lonely. We love Jesus, because he desperately and whole-heartedly loves us.
That is who we love and that is why we choose him. We may wander and we may forget, but in those times we have to ask ourselves, “Why did we love Jesus in the first place?” Because when we are remembering and fully aware of who Christ is, the decision of who we like better will never be close.
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The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
I’ve got the perfect thing to do if you ever want to create a really awkward situation in a group. I used to do it with my family at the dinner table when I was in high school. I’d simply turn to one of my parents and ask, “Who do you like better – me or Landon (my brother)?”
They’d look at me, my brother would look at me, and we’d sit there in silence as they tried to figure out if I was serious – which, of course, I wasn’t… mostly. I found it entertaining, but what a terrible thing to do to somebody! Asking them to pick a favorite – and right in front of the other person at that!
Yet we are often faced with that question as we choose to follow Jesus. We understand who Jesus is, and what He desires for us. And so we choose him. That is, until something seemingly more attractive enters the picture – be it money, pride, lust, relationships, work – you name it. And whether consciously or subconsciously, we are asked the question, “Who do you like better?” And that’s where it gets dicey.
We can very well love Jesus, but then what if Jesus gets in the way of our desire to watch sports? Or what about that trip we want to take? Or the new house we want to buy? Or the recognition we could get? Who do we like better?
I wish that the answer was always Jesus, but as the song says, “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love.” Like a moth to the flame, we are often drawn to things that move us away from rather than closer to Jesus. Is wayward tendency just part of who we are? Yes. But it is also a product of forgetting why we love and first chose Jesus.
We love Jesus for his deep compassion. We love him for his astounding wisdom. We love him for his selfless humility. We love him for his heart for the lost and lonely. We love Jesus, because he desperately and whole-heartedly loves us.
That is who we love and that is why we choose him. We may wander and we may forget, but in those times we have to ask ourselves, “Why did we love Jesus in the first place?” Because when we are remembering and fully aware of who Christ is, the decision of who we like better will never be close.
Download the GPS App
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224 United States
913.897.0120
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