Nancy Walker

Luke 18:18-22

A certain ruler asked Jesus, “Good Teacher, what must I do to obtain eternal life?” 

Jesus replied, “Why do you call me good?  No one is good except the one God.  You know the commandments: Do not murder.  Do not steal.  Do not give false testimony.  Honor your father and mother.”

     

Then the ruler said, “I have kept all of these things since I was a boy.”

When Jesus heard this, he said, “There is one more thing.  Sell everything you own and distribute the money to the poor.  Then you will have treasure in heaven.  And come, follow me.” When he heard these words, the man became sad because he was extremely rich.

 

Reflection:

Have you ever thought about how our Lord Jesus lived? Or why he lived the way he did? He had none of the modern conveniences that we now take for granted: no electricity, air conditioning, running water, a washing machine and dryer, microwave oven, computer, television, a cell phone or a vehicle to drive him up to Jerusalem. No one in the world at the time he lived had those conveniences. 

But this is the Son of God. Do you not think he should have lived in a palatial house? Had a core of servants waiting on his every need? Luxurious robes and custom made sandals? I think he would have rejected all those perks of wealth because his focus was on people, not things. The only Son of God, Savior of the World and Creator of a new way of life was born into poverty. Mary gave birth to him in a grotto that served as a stable. He grew up in a small village where his earthly father was a carpenter. He wore sandals all his life—and they were nothing like Birkenstocks! They were only a leather sole and thin straps. In the arid climate of Israel, these sandals were the reason that washing someone’s feet when they arrived at your home was an act of hospitality. As far as I know, he never carried a suitcase, with or without the wheels that make them so much easier to transport today. 

Why did he live like this? It was because he came to change the world, to save all the people who believed he was—and is—the Messiah. His thoughtful, gentle care of everyone he met never wavered. His focus was on doing his father’s will, not living luxuriously or acquiring wealth.

Because we know he is the Messiah, we are charged with living as he did, putting others ahead of ourselves and working as his hands and feet here on earth. It is often difficult for us to do this in the society in which we live today where we are always concerned about what our neighbors think of us and having all the things that they do.  Do you ever think of all the “stuff” we accumulate in our lives? If you come to my home right now, you will see my personal pumpkin patch. These pumpkins are made of velvet, glass, ceramics and metal. I love their shape and the colors—from mirrored pumpkins to colorful velvet ones and a few that are also jack-o-lanterns. Do I need them? No! I just like them so much that I have made a pumpkin collection. The truth is, I do not need these things either, but we make things so important in our lives today. From décor in our homes to the clothes and accessories we wear, the events we attend, the cars we drive, the jobs we hold, our wealth and so much more. 

We would all do well to stop and consider how we serve our Lord Jesus. He gave everything for us, including his life! It is important that in serving him, we give to others and act as his hands and feet here on earth. Is not the life of another worth more than another velvet pumpkin or new car? One of my favorite hymns puts everything in perspective for me: “All I have needed thy hand hath provided. Great is your faithfulness, Lord unto me.” I pray my faithfulness to Him begins to draw me closer, to follow in his footsteps and to leave things behind!

Prayer:

Dear Lord God,

Please guide me to remember how your wonderful son lived on earth. He came to show the world your love and care for all. Help me let go of earthly dreams and a desire for “things,” as I strive to live as He did, putting others ahead of myself. In his holy name. Amen.