A wealthy man once asked Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus replied with a list of “thou shalts” that the man already knew – and claimed to obey since he was a youth. And yet, the man was moved to question, to acknowledge that there was something he was missing… and Jesus confirmed that, in fact, there was something lacking.
Jesus’ expanded his answer to the man’s question, and it was obviously not what he wanted to hear. You see, the man clung to his wealth, his earthly “treasures,” his financial status. When Jesus told him to divest himself of all he truly held dear and precious, only to give it to the poor, it shattered his illusion of security. Apparently “eternal life” had a cost – and it was higher than he was willing to pay. Jesus’ condition for eternal life even included an invitation: “Come, follow me.”
Wow. Think about that… this man was being asked to surrender literally everything he had – and trust Jesus to guide and provide for him on Jesus’ terms. It was a lot to ask of someone! It was asking everything!
What a shame that the man chose to cling to the temporary at the expense of the eternal. Scriptures tell us that the man made his choice… and went away…
When I read this passage, and listen to the Holy Spirit’s voice, what I hear and see in Luke’s story is another revelation of what it is that Jesus most deeply desires of us. We’re to allow nothing – not money, fortune, nor fame to enslave us to greed, nor are we to withhold our “riches” from those in need of sustenance. Realizing the joy in being able to show generosity is, in itself, its own source of a “rich” and full life.
Jesus also invites us to “follow” him, to emulate his nature, which is gracious, merciful, forgiving and loving. There are times we stumble, times we veer from his path, but he is ever ready to restore us and reorient our spirits to his own. And this he does, time and time again.
“What must we do to inherit eternal life?” It is not something we can negotiate. Jesus, himself, set the terms. He asks of us no less than he gladly gave. And the choice is ours.