Pastor Ralph Posted September 16, 2010 Report Share Posted September 16, 2010 Q2. (Mark 10:21) Why do you think Jesus requires the rich young ruler to divest himself of his fortune? Why does this trouble us so much? If there was no other way for the man to be saved, what does that say about the spiritual dangers of wealth? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Douglas Posted October 23, 2010 Report Share Posted October 23, 2010 Q2. (Mark 10:21) Why do you think Jesus requires the rich young ruler to divest himself of his fortune? Why does this trouble us so much? If there was no other way for the man to be saved, what does that say about the spiritual dangers of wealth? Jesus percieved that this man's heart was about his fortune. His hopes, his dreams, his reputation, his self worth were all dependent upon his possesions. This troubles us because we can so relate to the dilema of this challenge. It even troubles me now to write about it. We need to be very wary of the spiritual dangers of wealth. The comforts and priveliges it affords are temporal at best and give no peace, yet we hold and hoard for the sake of security. Fear needs to be let go and faith embraced. Then and only then will we experience the abundant life that Jesus promises. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron2 Posted October 23, 2010 Report Share Posted October 23, 2010 Q2. (Mark 10:21) Why do you think Jesus requires the rich young ruler to divest himself of his fortune? Why does this trouble us so much? We have listen to the pastors tell us that if you come to Jesus our life will be easy and we will have no problems. What a lie. Jesus is trying to tell us that it will be costly to fallow Him. This troubles us because we want instant happiness, we don't want to sacrifice for the kingdom, our flesh want the easy life. It is not about what we can do for God it is taking the flesh out of the way, so Jesus can flow through us. It took Moss and Paul many years in the wilderness for Jesus to break the flesh and for them to learn to live confidence of the love of the Father. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delivered Posted October 23, 2010 Report Share Posted October 23, 2010 Q.(Mark 10:21) Why do you think Jesus requires the rich young ruler to divest himself of his fortune? The young man was loved by Jesus for keeping the law of Moses, the law that Jesus Father, the God of Israel gave to His chosen people Israel to keep, what Jesus said to the young man who was lacking in one area, was for him to give all he had to the poor, that was much more than what God asked of him in His commandments, that of giving 10%, if he would do this, then he would be perfect, he would not be lacking in any area, but perfection was something this man could not give, so he left saddened. Why does this trouble us so much? It would trouble me if I thought Jesus was teaching the young ruler, or us, in order for us to have eternal life, we must be perfect, what I believe He is teaching, is for me to have a heart, that with each day that goes by, my desire would be more and more that of reaching for that of perfection. I am thankful that perfection is not required of us to have eternal life, but wanting to be in His Kingdom does require we reach for that perfection. If there was no other way for the man to be saved what does that say about the spiritual dangers of wealth? The danger is not just in wealth but in any area that we fail in, by not keeping Gods commands of righteousness, God wants to take first place in our lives It amazes me that this young man was lacking in only one area, how many of us can say that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PATCH Posted October 24, 2010 Report Share Posted October 24, 2010 Q2. (Mark 10:21) Why do you think Jesus requires the rich young ruler to divest himself of his fortune? Why does this trouble us so much? If there was no other way for the man to be saved, what does that say about the spiritual dangers of wealth? Why do you think Jesus requires the rich young ruler to divest himself of his fortune? The rich young ruler thought he could use his wealth to do enough good to enter heaven. Jesus was trying to make him understand that his (the young man's) standard of goodness and righteousness is way below Jesus' standards. Why does this trouble us so much? In this world, money can buy us security, power, fame, possessions, friends, a good name, and everything else that can accord us comfort and even luxury. Therefore for many of us money becomes our safety net. We have become so spoiled by money and possessions that we feel lost without them and we are afraid that we are unable to survive without them. Being contented with our daily bread is just not good enough for us. If there was no other way for the man to be saved, what does that say about the spiritual dangers of wealth? 1) Wealth and everything else that contrbutes to bringing in the wealth (investments, job, bosses etc) becomes our god. 2) Wealth can lead to convetousness, envy, greed and idolatry. 3) We trust in our wealth instead of trusting in God. 4) Wealth can blind us - we think nothing bad can touch us because of our wealth, and we think we can buy ourselves a place in heaven just by being philanthropic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masika Posted October 24, 2010 Report Share Posted October 24, 2010 Q2. (Mark 10:21) Why do you think Jesus requires the rich young ruler to divest himself of his fortune? Why does this trouble us so much? If there was no other way for the man to be saved, what does that say about the spiritual dangers of wealth? Jesus did want anything like possessions or money to keep the rich young ruler from following Him. We must remove all barriers to serving him fully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoiKosum Posted October 24, 2010 Report Share Posted October 24, 2010 Q2. (Mark 10:21) Why do you think Jesus requires the rich young ruler to divest himself of his fortune? Why does this trouble us so much? If there was no other way for the man to be saved, what does that say about the spiritual dangers of wealth? It is probably because Jesus perceived that the young ruler's riches is causing him distress. He is wealthy and has kept all the commandments. Yet, he approaches Jesus with the question "What must I do to inherit eternal life?". This shows his lack of understanding. Most probably the young ruler feels that he has to do something to obtain eternal life. It could also be that the young ruler thinks that eternal life is something that can be bought. This troubles us because we tend to associate wealth with our ability to serve God. With money, we can give to missions, feed the poor, educate the orphans - we can do a lot of good. However, if we are poor, we are only able to give through our prayers and physical labour. Many of us also tend to associate God's blessing with the amount of wealth and possessions that we have. Jesus's instruction to the young ruler thus throws a spanner into our thinking. Really, this parable points to the dangers of wealth. Jesus said of money - we cannot serve both God and money and the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. The danger is not in the money itself but rather what wealth leads to. When a person is wealthy, he has possessions (houses, cars, etc), has status and influence and power. These products of wealth may lead us astray. If we are not careful, these can become our idol and replace Jesus as the centre of our lives. Money may harden our hearts and dull our compassion for the needy and less fortunate. In effect, when Jesus asked the young ruler to go sell his possessions, Jesus was asking the young ruler to give up all these idols. This was too great much to ask of the young ruler and he went away sad. This showed that indeed money and all its associated trappings have become the young ruler's God. This does not mean that we should frown upon the rich or focus on being poor or be afraid of being rich. There are many references in the bible of God blessing through riches and possessions. The important thing is for us to understand and acknowledge that our wealth is from God and that we should use it wisely to minister God's word and serve the needy and less fortunate. We must remember to always focus on Jesus and not on our wealth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foofee's Nana Posted October 24, 2010 Report Share Posted October 24, 2010 Why do you think Jesus requires the rich young ruler to divest himself of his fortune? It would have him put away all that he served now, and serve the Living God. The young ruller had always followed the Jewish law and Jesus knew this, he was moral, and all that it implies....Jesus wanted him to see that he needed to lay down what stood between him and the Savior. Why does this trouble us so much? I think this troubles us because it makes us feel vulnerable....we keep thinking that we all need money to live.....to exist....can everyone give away all......I am not a scholar of the Bible...but it seems Christ Jesus wasnts us to walk more closely to Him...to put our deepest trust in Him.....if we have things that are a hindrance we need to lay them down. If there was no other way for the man to be saved, what does that say about the spiritual dangers of wealth? Scripture says we can not serve two masters....we can not serve money and God both. Money has that strange way of getting to the formefront of our brains, our thinking, and God does not want it to be an idol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis63 Posted October 24, 2010 Report Share Posted October 24, 2010 Why do you think Jesus requires the rich young ruler to divest himself of his fortune? Abraham was positioned with a test of faith {obedience} (sacrificing his only son Isaac, Genesis 22:1-2); the young ruler is positioned with a test of love {putting God first} (Deuteronomy 6:5; Exodus 20:3). One thing thou lackest - When the young man came to Jesus he asked him, "What lack I yet?" Matthew 19:20. The results of this test would determine if the young ruler loved "God" more than he did his wealth, (influence and affluence). Was his worship, his love for supreme, sincere and genuine; or was his obedience external, formal, ritualistic, worship with lips and not heart. The results of the test if sincere and real would make up the one thing "lacking". God looks at the heart as well as the actions. Jesus required the young ruler to divest himself from his fortune to determine where his heart was. Note: There are so many things that can be taken from this passage (striving for perfection; doing deeds {to earn salvation}, keeping of the law etc... however in the latter parts of the verse, (Matthew 19:21 and Marks 10:21), Jesus touches the core sensitive spot. And the young man is put in a difficult position. The question of his wealth / property disposition is not the main thing. I think the primary lesson that Jesus was teaching to teach all that heard Him and those that read of this teaching moment. "AND COME AND FOLLOW ME"; "AND COME, TAKE UP THE CROSS, AND FOLLOW ME". I believe this is the foremost thought. Whatever it is that stands between following Jesus, that is the thing that He says to get rid of. If it is Possessions, get rid of them. If it is your social standing (Status and influence);power / authority; Community leadership; or Family, love God more. Whatever it is, any/ all the activities that stand between the Believer and a closer personal walk with your Saviour, must be placed in their proper perspective. The sad things is the young man was sad and walked away grieved / sorrowful, thereby his decision is implied do to his great wealth. The good thing about the passage is that we do not know with certainty that he remained steadfast with the implied decision he walked away with, seeds that fall in cultivated soil has a good opportunity to grow and produce. Why does this trouble us so much? Ecclesiastes 10:19 A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things. It troubles us just as the last part of Ecclesiastes 10:19 is taken out of context and often misunderstood. Everyone, mankind can be affected what is said in 1st John 2:16, (the **** of the flesh, and the **** of the eyes, and the pride of life). Man is stimulated by sight, woman moreso by relationships. Wealth has a bearing to a degree in either or both capacities. Even in the most spiritual minded individual, it can have bearing. "I've heard comments like this church has the ability to do this or that, they send missions here and there; that have such a school, a hospital, a magnificent sanctuary (house of worship) etc... Those who have become totally abased are the only people I have read of that the desire to have some form of wealth has not been exposed. It troubles us so much because we have to give up, truly give up self. We have to server, truly serve (not through false humility). If there was no other way for the man to be saved, what does that say about the spiritual dangers of wealth? There are spiritual dangers (we do not war against flesh and blood) of on evil influence lead us away from SPIRITUAL influence of God. If we do not recognized these dangers and repent from them, we can end up in a worse state than those whom we may perceive will not be in the kingdom. Earthly treasures can obscure or capture our view, it can happen subtle without us even realizing it. Without in realizing it we subconsciously place a higher value on things before God. Some become so heavenly focused that they are no earthly good (they are not a good witness for God and His character {the Pharisees, scribes and those today wrapped in man- made doctrine not aligned with God's intent). Just as the rich ruler was sincere, some of us today are as sincere keeping two gods in his life. Then, at the crossroads of life, he chose the broad path that could accommodate all his possessions. I as well agree with advanced member PATCH: "1) Wealth and everything else that contributes to bringing in the wealth (investments, job, bosses etc) becomes our god. 2) Wealth can lead to covetousness, envy, greed and idolatry. 3) We trust in our wealth instead of trusting in God. 4) Wealth can blind us - we think nothing bad can touch us because of our wealth, and we think we can buy ourselves a place in heaven just by being philanthropic". SoiKosum as well as a lot of valid points. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charisbarak Posted October 24, 2010 Report Share Posted October 24, 2010 It was a stronghold for the enemy. He couldn't give up all the $ bought for him--especially the power and I think Jesus recognized this. He knew the rich young ruler couldn't fully commit himself to Jesus yet--forsaking all else....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eudora Posted October 25, 2010 Report Share Posted October 25, 2010 Q2. (Mark 10:21) Why do you think Jesus requires the rich young ruler to divest himself of his fortune? Because he cares more about the wealth that he has obtained and that he can and has already seen, than what he could obtain that he can Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hanks Posted October 25, 2010 Report Share Posted October 25, 2010 Q2. (Mark 10:21) Why do you think Jesus requires the rich young ruler to divest himself of his fortune? Jesus was saying that we cannot serve two masters. Either we serve God or money; we cannot have it both ways. The Lord Jesus did not mean that this man could have been saved by selling his possessions and giving the proceeds to the poor. Jesus meant that there is only one way of salvation, and that is by faith in the Lord. Why does this trouble us so much? We are very reluctant to part with our possessions; and become very attached to them. We just simply cannot surrender all to Jesus. If there was no other way for the man to be saved, what does that say about the spiritual dangers of wealth? With wealth comes power and all the other trappings, leaving us with no time for Jesus. We are saved by grace and no good works that money can buy will save us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beliver Posted October 25, 2010 Report Share Posted October 25, 2010 Q2. (Mark 10:21) Why do you think Jesus requires the rich young ruler to divest himself of his fortune? Why does this trouble us so much? If there was no other way for the man to be saved, what does that say about the spiritual dangers of wealth? I believe Christ was testing this young man, I know God knows his heart, but I think he wanted to teach him a lesson about riches. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom. Money is not evil, it is the love of it that corrupts. God will not be second to anyone, we must decide are we going to serve the world or God. Wealthy people can be a help to the work of the Lord, but if we put that before Him, He will have no other god's before Him, including money. We need to ask ourselves daily why do I serve the Lord, is it for Him Kingdom or our own ego. The only way to be saved is by faith in Jesus and him alone, we cannot buy our way to heaven or eternal life. Riches corrupt if not used for the work of the kingdom. We cannot hold fast to riches, they can be gone in an instant, but what is done for Christ will last. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
l.a. Posted October 25, 2010 Report Share Posted October 25, 2010 Q2. (Mark 10:21) Why do you think Jesus requires the rich young ruler to divest himself of his fortune? Why does this trouble us so much? If there was no other way for the man to be saved, what does that say about the spiritual dangers of wealth? It seems Jesus saw more than meets the eye. The fortune seems to represent worldly **** and power that the ruler is used to receiving. This comfortable living and influence is something that needs to be abandoned so he can have full dependence on God and not himself. This troubles us because we do not give away all we possess to follow Him. I often struggle with this; I feel that I am not rich by American standards, but definetly compared to many areas of the world. I guess I only try to give more when I have abundance and share with the needy instead of 'building bigger barns' for myself. Spiritual dangers are in jeopardy when we believe that it was because of our own cleverness that we have gained riches and that we are entitled to live extravagantly because we earned it. The bible warns that those that have much, will be expected much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Windy Posted October 25, 2010 Report Share Posted October 25, 2010 Q2. (Mark 10:21) Why do you think Jesus requires the rich young ruler to divest himself of his fortune? Why does this trouble us so much? If there was no other way for the man to be saved, what does that say about the spiritual dangers of wealth? Jesus, knew that the young ruler's, wealth was a hindrance. His possesions and comfort were too important. Good works can't buy our way into Heaven. This troubles us, because we could fall into that same trap. We hope, we are using the wealth that God gives us, for His purpose. But we could be in danger, spiritual of becoming like the your ruler, too comfortable with wealth. As Jesus said, "You can not serve two masters." We need to be very careful, we need to love and obey God. Asking Him for guidance, in all things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanMary Posted October 25, 2010 Report Share Posted October 25, 2010 Q2. (Mark 10:21) Why do you think Jesus requires the rich young ruler to divest himself of his fortune? Jesus knows our hearts...He knew the young ruler loved the wealth and power which his fortune held, and that it would always be "my money....and oh yes, Jesus too." Jesus must reign in our hearts and lives, not be an addendum to our agenda and values. The first sin was about longing for more... the only thing God told Adam that was unavailable to them, because it would cause them to die...and they couldn't stand it! They had it all, but it wasn't enough. Why does this trouble us so much? I think it's because our culture teaches us that is the goal in life...to acquire as much wealth as we can and as quickly as possible, and that the more wealth we have, the more esteemed and powerful we are. The idea lingers that only losers are poor. We are wired to want to achieve, and wealth is the reward for achieving in this world. It seems unthinkable to be told to give it all away. But having lost it all, I see the wisdom of God! Once the treasure is gone, we see with clarity that HE IS THE ONLY TREASURE worth having. If there was no other way for the man to be saved, what does that say about the spiritual dangers of wealth? it says that wealth can be a snare to hold one shackled to the bondage of this world and it's values. It has been said that "Prosperity is a greater trial than poverty"....Jesus was offering the young man treasure in Heaven which cannot rust, decay or be stolen! How tragic that he declined Jesus' offer of the TRUE wealth of becoming a joint heir with Jesus and all that is His! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highohfaith Posted October 25, 2010 Report Share Posted October 25, 2010 Q2. (Mark 10:21) Why do you think Jesus requires the rich young ruler to divest himself of his fortune? Why does this trouble us so much? If there was no other way for the man to be saved, what does that say about the spiritual dangers of wealth? Jesus requires the young man to give up his fortune, because he knows and loves the young man,and he knows the young man loves being wealthy! Jesus is testing the sincerity of the young mans request.He wants to see if the young man is so sincere that he is willing give up the one thing that he treasures most to gain something more valuable.The young man fails Jesus' test. The reason why this troubles us so much is many of us value our relationships and possessions here on earth. We don't want to hear that we may have to give them up to gain something of greater value. We want to keep everything here, including our sin, and not give it up, repent, to gain entrance into the Kingdom of God. We want to walk right in,no sacrifices, and Jesus is saying we must make sacrifices, we must give up our sins, repent and follow him, ABOVE ALL! The spiritual dangers of wealth are immense, one can become so attached to his money and material things that nothing will separate them from their possessions here on earth. Whereas, Jesus is saying it should be the other way around: Another example of this: Romans 8 verses 38-39. "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the LOVE OF GOD that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8 verses 38-39. NOTHING SHOULD SEPARATE US FROM GOD! In the same way Jesus is saying in following verses don't put any relationship here on earth in front of your love for me..I must come FIRST!! LUKE 8,verses 19-21 Then came to him his mother and his brethren, and could not come at him for the press. And it was told him by certain which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee. And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it. It is not that Jesus did not love his earthly family but he was prioritizing and putting his Heavenly and only Father, and HIS Word FIRST! Jesus want us to know that HE and the Kingdom are far greater then any possession,or relationship, we have here on earth! In the same way he is making an example of the rich young man who was not willing to give up his 'treasure' to gain the kingdom of God! Jesus is making an example here, because he is not willing to put the relationship with his earthly brethren in front of the work he is given to do by his Heavenly Father. DO NOT VALUE ANYTHING OR ANY RELATIONSHIP MORE THAN YOU VALUE GOD! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrD Posted October 25, 2010 Report Share Posted October 25, 2010 Q2. (Mark 10:21) Why do you think Jesus requires the rich young ruler to divest himself of his fortune? Why does this trouble us so much? If there was no other way for the man to be saved, what does that say about the spiritual dangers of wealth? His fortune was a form of a god and as Jesus said, "no man can serve two masters." This may be troublesome to many because of the influence money has over people - the power money has over people - and I believe that there is a fear of loosing this influence and power not realizing that our being in Christ we have a greater influence and power. . . I believe that people can be saved and wealthy at the same time as long as the controlling factor in their lives is Christ and not wealth or money. . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeking His Face Posted October 25, 2010 Report Share Posted October 25, 2010 Q2. (Mark 10:21) Why do you think Jesus requires the rich young ruler to divest himself of his fortune? Why does this trouble us so much? If there was no other way for the man to be saved, what does that say about the spiritual dangers of wealth? He wants us to rely completely on Him. Jesus wants all of us. He want to control every area of our lives. I think we feel insecure at first, Its hard to realize that Christ is not like man. I think it could be considered as stuff, not just money. Possessions, status,reputations, nothing comes before God, especially not SELF! family,job,friends etc. We must fully depend on Him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lion of Grace Posted October 26, 2010 Report Share Posted October 26, 2010 Jesus required this rich young ruler to divest himself of what he owned so he could go and follow Jesus. He was asking this man if he could give up everything he had to be with him. He required that of His disciples and He requires it of us. The man went away sad, because He owned many things. He had accomplished following the laws and living a good life, but He wasn't willing to be truly submitted to Jesus. To have Him as LORD. I'd like to think he DID go home and think about it and maybe He changed His mind and did go. I hope so. Just as we sometimes say with things required of us, "Oh no Lord, that's too much. That would be so hard." but with prayer and devotion we do bow to His will knowing He's so perfect and knows so much better than we do. We can trust Him. Why does this parable trouble us so much? Because we like to compromise too. We want to say what we "do" and the partial ways we "follow" are good enough. We want to hold onto or justify the things we don't necessarily want to let go of. This ruler ASKED Jesus what more he needed to do and received an honest answer. How many times do we feel a void and ask God what we need to do to fill it with HIM and then ignore what He shows us. It's out of our comfort zone, or is too risky or or seems a little too much "over the top." Yet, He asks us to do whatever it is! I'm also doing an Isaiah study and have come to mind how little we RESPECT God. We want to ask or seek, but then decide for ourselves in the face of HIS answer! There are so many spiritual dangers in wealth! The world idolizes money and if you have it, it can buy you anything. It can buy power, corruption or immorality. It can convince you, you can do anything you want! People who even just like to be associated with it will help a rich man with his own corruption. It's really sad. I've seen men and women deceived in their minds, actually justify themselves into thinking they can do anything to anyone just because they have money....and they were even very small fish in a big sea! Money can be used for good though, but a person has to be really grounded in Christ to handle it properly for HIS Kingdom....but that usually means giving it away! : ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janel Posted October 26, 2010 Report Share Posted October 26, 2010 Q2 Jesus' mission is to save souls. Being compassionate in nature Jesus heart goes all out to the rich young ruler and knows that in order to save him, he needs to divest himself of his fortune for he cannot have God and money in the Kingdom. Money is always the bondage to those who are weak. We need to choose between God and money. This is especially troublesome to those who are extremely rich. For they have to forgo their life style and way of living. The scary part is that they might be asked to give up the same thing as the rich young ruler. "Money is the root of all evil" as the saying goes. If one is obsessed with it then one's focus is on the wrong thing and may lead to disasters. Wanting all his ways' be lord over others and not caring for the unfortunate. All blessings come from God and need to be shared with others otherwise it may lead to downfall in his spiritual life and eternal Kingdom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janel Posted October 26, 2010 Report Share Posted October 26, 2010 Q2 Jesus' mission is to save souls. Being compassionate in nature Jesus heart goes all out to the rich young ruler and knows that in order to save him, he needs to divest himself of his fortune for he cannot have God and money in the Kingdom. Money is always the bondage to those who are weak. We need to choose between God and money. This is especially troublesome to those who are extremely rich. For they have to forgo their life style and way of living. The scary part is that they might be asked to give up the same thing as the rich young ruler. "Money is the root of all evil" as the saying goes. If one is obsessed with it then one's focus is on the wrong thing and may lead to disasters. Wanting all his ways; be lord over others and not caring for the unfortunate. All blessings come from God and need to be shared with others otherwise it may lead to downfall in his spiritual life and eternal Kingdom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramon Posted October 26, 2010 Report Share Posted October 26, 2010 Q2. (Mark 10:21) Why do you think Jesus requires the rich young ruler to divest himself of his fortune? Why does this trouble us so much? If there was no other way for the man to be saved, what does that say about the spiritual dangers of wealth? Answer: It is in The HEART. God see in us through our Heart. 1 Samuel 16:7 -But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. Although the young man,is quite sincere in its quest for the Kingdom of God,His heart is into another thing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Jerry Posted October 26, 2010 Report Share Posted October 26, 2010 The reason that Jesus requires the rich young ruler to divest himself of his fortune is because he knows that this fortune is his idol. He is worshiping him money more than his God. This troubles us so much because we may be asked to give up something that we like to do or we are worshiping. There is a way for the man to be saved because further down in the chapter it says that only God can save. This man may not be able to because he worshiping his wealth instead of God. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jr4624 Posted October 26, 2010 Report Share Posted October 26, 2010 Q2. (Mark 10:21) Why do you think Jesus requires the rich young ruler to divest himself of his fortune? Why does this trouble us so much? If there was no other way for the man to be saved, what does that say about the spiritual dangers of wealth? I believe that Jesus knew that the mans wealth had become his god. He was in the position of serving money instead of the money serving him. Wealth, and the pursuit of it, was the most important thing in his life. He was in perpetual violation of the first commandment, to have no other god but God. Because it seems (and is) so radical and uncompromising. Because we have areas that we are reluctant to give up. We have things that come between us and true submission to God. We do not want to believe that these things are sins. That it is very easy to let the pursuit and accumulation of wealth take over your life. It isn't a sin to BE wealthy, it's a sin to let that wealth come between you and God. Jesus said that you can't serve God and money, so the challenge is to be sure that money is a tool for you and your ministry, not the other way around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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