Luke 18: 18-34
January 3, 2015
January 3, 2015
One of the highest spiritual leaders of the people asked
him, “Good Master, what must I do to obtain eternal life?”
Jesus answered him, “Why do you call me good? No one is
good except the divine Father only. You know the commandments, you shall not corrupt
marriage, you shall not kill, you shall not steal, you shall not speak untruth,
and you shall honor your father and your mother!
He said, “All these I have observed strictly from my
youth.”
When Jesus heard this, he said, [Jesus, looking at him,
loved him and said… Mk 10:21] “One thing however you lack: Sell all of your
possessions, and give the money to the poor; thus will you achieve a treasure
in the spiritual world—then come and follow me!
These words made him very sad, for he was extremely rich.
And when Jesus saw him thus, he said, “How hard it is for those who have
earthly riches to find entry into the kingdom of God. Sooner would a camel walk
through the eye of a needle, than a rich man be able to find the entrance to
the kingdom of God!”
 |
| Tissot |
He said, “For man alone it is impossible; it will be
possible however through the power of God working in man.”
Then Peter said to him, “Behold, we have left all that
was ours behind us and have followed you.”
He replied, “Amen, the truth I say to you. Everyone who
leaves a house or wife, or brothers or
parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will receive much more
in earthly existence, and in the coming aeon deathless life.”
Then he took the twelve to himself and said, “Now we are
going up to Jerusalem, and everything which the prophets have written about the
Son of Man will fulfill itself: He will be given over to the peoples of the
world; they will mock and taunt him, they will spit upon him and scourge him
and kill him; but on the third day he will rise up from the dead.”
Yet his disciples understood nothing of all this. The meaning
of his words remained hidden from them, and they did not recognize what he was
trying to tell them.
Luke 18: 18-34
 |
| King Stephen, wikimedia |
Are we ready to follow Christ somewhere deeper than just enjoying our status, deeper even than being good and law-abiding people? We hesitate, perhaps because we know we are
not strong enough. We can only do what we are able to do, what we can. But we don’t have to do it alone. God adds to it. ‘For what is impossible for human
strength will become possible through the power of God'. In the words of Hafiz:
….Now is the time to understand
That all your ideas of right and
wrong
Were just a child's training
wheels
To be laid aside
When you finally live
With veracity
And love. …
What is it in that sweet voice
inside
That incites you to fear?
Now is the time for the world to
know
That every thought and action is
sacred.
This is the time
For you to compute the
impossibility
That there is anything
But Grace.
Now is the season to know
That everything you do
Is sacred.*
