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For I know the plans I have for you,declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jer 29:11 |
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| Archived Manna: | |
Dear
Friend,
If you do not already have a habit of gathering daily manna the first thing in the morning (we can look at the example given to us in Exodus 16 and find the pattern for make it a habit. Establish your life and your schedule to allow you the necessary time to do your daily collection first thing every morning to give you the strength to make it through the day. And remember that today’s manna will not be sufficient for tomorrow; tomorrow’s manna must be collected tomorrow morning. Monday, June 20, 2022
Today's Passage : Today's Passage :The Rich Young Man Bible Verse:Matthew 19:16-22 (ESV) "And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. " Message:
The account of this famous incident varies slightly in its details among the three Synoptic gospels. Only Matthew calls the man “young”, and Luke describes him as a “ruler”. So, in line with the principle of hermeneutics*, that the Bible cannot contradict itself, we must understand that all three are correct, but all three omit a detail. He is a rich young ruler, what we might call an aristocrat or highborn person with (probably) inherited wealth.
The man is fully in the mindset of the Old Testament, the first covenant by which men sought to be justified before God by the acts they perform. He is a good Jew of the day, but he has not heard Jesus’ message. Which is to say, he might have heard the words Jesus said, but did not understand them, did not have “ears to hear.”
Perhaps, being young and rich and powerful, he thought he would drop by for an hour and get the God part of his week done, like a “Sunday Christian.” Or perhaps he thought he was so important, perhaps he was so accustomed to deference, that he didn’t need to listen to the general lecture to the hoi polloi*, but would get personal tutoring.
Jesus is just a tiny bit sarcastic; He engages the man in wordplay. In Matthew, He replies with a question, “Why do you ask me about what is good?” In Mark and Luke, his question is even more pointed: “Why do you call me good?” Jesus knows the man hasn’t been paying attention and, in his arrogance, expects to ask a simple question and get a simple reply from this scruffy holy man.
Jesus and the rich man, Matthew 19
Jesus and the rich (young) man
But we should not be too hard on him. He is seeking God and has done the right thing, according to what he has been taught. And Jesus gives him a straight answer. Basically, “stop loving your money and start loving me.” For how could a person show that he serves God and not money any more dramatically, than by giving away his money and joining a sect led by a man who did not even have a “place to lay his head”? (Matthew 8:19-20)
Christ, remember, would not allow his disciples to take even a second pair of sandals or a staff, or to collect any money, when they were sent out to evangelize; they would eat and find shelter only if someone offered it to them. (Matthew 10:5-11) Christ is the one person, in all of history, who is utterly and absolutely unimpressed by wealth.
To my knowledge, there are no such people in Christianity today, at least in the West. Some Buddhist monks will accept donations only of food, but even they generally have a monastery in which to sleep. Francis of Assisi was notable for following Christ’s instructions literally; he gave away his inheritance and, although he and his followers would sometimes sleep in an abandoned building, they often walked barefoot through the mountains, sleeping where they might.
Christ gives the man a big pill to swallow, but if it is “strong medicine,” it is still medicinal and not punitive. Jesus’ advice is born of love. We are led to understand that greed or avarice was the biggest block standing between the man and salvation; and we might infer that love of wealth is a roadblock in our own search for God.
Meditation : Forgiveness of others is the key that unlocks Christ’s forgiveness, and forgiveness through Christ is the key that unlocks the kingdom of God. Prayer : Now, oh heavenly Father, I ask to be called as a witness to your love by the love I extend to others; a precursor of your justice by my unfailing commitment to what is right and good; a lamp set on a hill, reflecting the light of Christ in my forgiveness, mercy and compassion; and a harvester of souls through my humble and dedicated servanthood. In Jesus’ name, I pray,.....Amen |
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