January 9, 2006

• I'm back, but busy... but for now, think on this passage...

  
  

  Mark 10:17-31 (NIV, BibleGateway.com)

  
  

  The Rich Young Man

  
  

   ¹⁷As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 
   ¹⁸"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. ¹⁹You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.' [Exodus 20:12-16; Deut. 5:16-20]" 
   ²⁰"Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy." 
   ²¹Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." 
   ²²At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. 
   ²³Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!" 
   ²⁴The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, "Children, how hard it is [for those who trust in riches] to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." 
   ²⁶The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, "Who then can be saved?" 
   ²⁷Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God." 
   ²⁸Peter said to him, "We have left everything to follow you!" 
   ²⁹"I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel ³⁰will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. ³¹But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

  
  

   

  
  

  A few quick comments:

  
  

  The rich man approached Jesus, and when he refused to obey and follow Jesus, what happened?  Did Jesus follow him, shouting what a sinner he was, did he curse the man for not following the one true way?  No, he just let him go and live his own life, being aware that even He couldn't prevent the man from choosing how to live his own life.  Love can only exist while free-will exists.

  
  

  Other than the $6,000 in tainted money, what has the 'rich man' G.W. Bush given to charity?  Oh, that's right, he helped give our government's money back to those poor, unfortunate, friends of his that make over $1 million a year, while cutting those social programs that actually helped the people who God didn't 'bless' with gobs and gobs of money.  Or the other (mostly Republican) Congressmen (like mine) who loudly and proudly proclaim themselves to be Christians... and who also did the same? 

  
  

  Which kind of Christians do you follow?  The Pat Robertsons of the world, living in their mansions while asking the poor and middle class to keep the money flowing, while praying for God's wrath to fall on foreign leaders and American cities?  I prefer to follow the Christian leaders that aren't in the upper class, the ones that put my money to help people other than themselves, the ones that will look at and love everyone, even if they disagree with them, even if they aren't following Jesus.

  • 11:32 am
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