Tuesday Devo
Scripture:
Luke 18:22-27
22 When Jesus heard his answer, he said, “There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
23 But when the man heard this he became very sad, for he was very rich.
24 When Jesus saw this, he said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God! 25 In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”
26 Those who heard this said, “Then who in the world can be saved?”
27 He replied, “What is impossible for people is possible with God.”
22 When Jesus heard his answer, he said, “There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
23 But when the man heard this he became very sad, for he was very rich.
24 When Jesus saw this, he said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God! 25 In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”
26 Those who heard this said, “Then who in the world can be saved?”
27 He replied, “What is impossible for people is possible with God.”
Commentary:
18:25 it is easier for a camel. An example of hyperbole. It is simply impossible for those who are rich (and for anyone else) to enter God’s kingdom on the basis of their works, or to have the desire to seek God above all else apart from God’s grace.
18:26 who can be saved? Since riches were supposedly a sign of God’s favor, Jesus’ listeners must have wondered: if a rich man who could freely offer alms and sacrifices could not be saved, who could be?
18:27 What is impossible (Gk. adynatos) with men is possible (Gk. dynatos) with God (cf. 1:37; Gen. 18:14). Because of God’s power and grace, repenting and following Jesus is possible (see Luke 18:28–30), even for a rich man (19:1–10). Salvation is the work of the Lord, who does himself what would otherwise be impossible.
18:26 who can be saved? Since riches were supposedly a sign of God’s favor, Jesus’ listeners must have wondered: if a rich man who could freely offer alms and sacrifices could not be saved, who could be?
18:27 What is impossible (Gk. adynatos) with men is possible (Gk. dynatos) with God (cf. 1:37; Gen. 18:14). Because of God’s power and grace, repenting and following Jesus is possible (see Luke 18:28–30), even for a rich man (19:1–10). Salvation is the work of the Lord, who does himself what would otherwise be impossible.
Questions:
- The rich man failed to realize the FOOLISHNESS of his own EFFORT. He thought there was something he could DO to earn eternal life. He thought he could get there by keeping the commandments. But the law wasn't meant to be steps to get to God, it was meant to be an x-ray that shows how broken you are. An x-ray doesn't heal you, it shows you where you're broken. This man should've asked himself... if he kept the law so perfectly, why was there still something missing in his life? Maybe some of us should ask the same question… If I go to church, I volunteer, I give money, pray from time to time, why is there still something missing? Why am I not satisfied? Ever been there?
- Jesus eventually tells the man to sell everything and give the money to the poor. He exposes this guy's heart. The man chooses his wealth over God and goes away sad. Then Jesus says it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God. He's saying that rich people (or in other words, US) have a particularly difficult time when it comes to total surrender and choosing God over our stuff. Here is a quote from Darrell Bock... "This passage challenges us to ask where our fundamental anchors of identity lie. Possessions can be one such root. They can shade our sight from the central values and chain our heart to the wrong point of identity. Few biblical figures are as tragic as this young rich man as he walks away from Jesus’ invitation. But other factors, such as achievement, pride, and family, can also reside in the place that should be reserved for God. Anything that excessively anchors us to the earth rather than freeing us as commissioned representatives from God indicates a breakdown in the discipleship process. What is really frightening is how easy it is for all of us to choose earth over heaven." Process this quote and jot down anything that comes to mind. How easy is it for YOU to choose earth over heaven?
Pray:
- That you would be satisfied only in your relationship with God.
- That you would choose heaven over earth.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
3. Why did Jesus have to die on the cross? Since “all have sinned” and the “wages of sin is death,” Jesus had to die on the cross to pay the fine for my sin so I could be right with God.
(Romans 3:23, 5:8, 6:21-23, 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:1-6; Colossians 1:13-14, 21-22)
(Romans 3:23, 5:8, 6:21-23, 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:1-6; Colossians 1:13-14, 21-22)
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