Sell verything: Luke 18:18-30
Introduction
Have you ever asked Jesus for something, and been turned down?
Of course you have, which is why a guy, with no name, but referred to by the colour of his credit card and his job description – is someone we can identify with.
He asks Jesus a question, Jesus asks him for something that he doesn’t feel he can give up, and then [23]
Verse
He walks away sad.
Link
What could Jesus have possibly asked him that would have sent him away disappointed?
What question did Jesus ask him that was so offensive that this potential wealthy donor to the cause – walk away crushed?
At its heart is this, Jesus says the thing that makes you feel most secure in the world is the biggest threat to your spiritual health.
That is,
If your life security blanket, the big thing, that should you be without it, life would not be worth living:
Your career,
Your reputation,
Your dream of house, spouse and kids,
Your looks,
Your wealth,
Then you’re in danger of choosing that thing over Christ, over your salvation.
The heart of this passage is a really successful guy loves a good thing too much and loses everything.
This is why it’s such a controversial passage.
1.Come to Jesus vulnerable
[..] the guy only known as the ‘rich ruler’, bounces up to Jesus with the enthusiasm of puppy.
He’s like a superfan to a celebrity, “I’ve read all your books, seen all your films, memorised the lyrics of all your songs!”
He clearly wants to impress Jesus and thinks he’s got good reason to be confident that this meeting will go really well.
“Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
The narrator sets up to think – that he’s expecting Jesus to say: “You’re absolutely fine as you are come on in!”
But Jesus doesn’t, he asks for his credentials like a security guard at a checkpoint:
[19] Jesus is suspicious of the compliment of being called ‘good’, not because Jesus isn’t but because he doesn’t think the guy really understands what the word means.
And then comes the big test, Jesus lists five of the Ten Commandments – which are the short-hand summary the Bible lays down for what it means to be perfect.
And quick as a whippet, the guy – beams back with confidence - 21 “All these I have kept since I was a boy,”
Meaning – not that he went through a journey of self discovery that made him the man he is today, but that he had always nailed it!
He’d never known – failure!
What do you say to a person with that level of winning self-confidence?
Jesus, goes for the ‘in case of emergency break glass’ challenge – he reaches into his heart and finds the one thing he holds as shrine to his personal identity and the source of his “This is who I am in the world”
His wealth
And Jesus says,
“You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
And the guy chooses to hold on to wealth and let go of Jesus. So he leaves disappointed.
Now some of us who are worried that we idolise our dreams of:
The perfect job
The perfect husband
The perfect wife
And we’re worried that Jesus will ask us to let go of our dream or even more painfully, what if Jesus asks me to let go of the one thing that makes me feel in control?
You might say “Ah, Jesus just focuses on wealth in […], the challenge is only aimed at rich people.”
It’s compelling point, Jesus literally says “It’s impossible”
And if we are honest there is a particular difficulty for the wealthy…
But it although the difficulty level is high for the wealthy, we all experience the temptation for self reliance and self built thrones of pride and security that disqualifies us from heaven.
It could be your money, but what about…
In other words, whether you are richest person here or the poorest, your ability to qualify for eternal life with God based on your own merit is impossible!
Which is why Jesus says, no doubt with a glint in his eye, 'But with God anything is possible.'
So if a miracle is required for anyone to be saved, what type of miracle is it?
2.Take hold of Christ’s security
To answer that come with me to [26-30].
The crowd is blown away by what's just happened – and not in a good way!
Afterall, it was widely accepted that being rich wasn't the way to get into heaven, but it was a sign that God had favoured and blessed you. That was a belief held in all the religions of the time, and Judiasim held this assumption too – Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Solomon – were famously wealthy.
And Peter is rocked to the core.
[28] “We have left all we had to follow you!”
You've got to love Peter's honesty here, because I imagine he's saying what everyone else is thinking, which is: "I thought the deal of being a God-follower was he would look after your life after death, and he would keep you safe and secure in this life?"
A more blunt way to put it - "Jesus, following you was an investment – we invested all we had – where's the pay out?!"
That sounds rather crass, but we get it don't we?
Who of you hear thought being a Christian would solve your singleness? But you're still single.
Who of you thought that if you went deep into Christianity your loveless marriage would heal? But it hasn't.
What about why your still in a job you hate?
Or why the end of the month, fills you with dread because you're inevitably in your overdraft?
This is Peter's angry, confused point, [28] “We have left all we had to follow you!”
where's the pay out?!
So Jesus looks them, and looks us in the eye and says:
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30 will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.”
"Woh, isn't Jesus precisely saying that following Jesus gets you the marriage, the family, the lifestyle - your pinterest board has always longed for?"
Actually no.
Take singleness for example – Jesus himself never marries, neither does the apostle Paul – and it's hard to find someone more committed to following Christ.
Or take loneliness for example – the trajectory of the disciples after Jesus' death and resurrection – is a life of constant travelling, prisons, jails, captivity and for most execution.
So what does Jesus mean? What's he offering?
Just like today, if he asked someone on Market Street what’s the most important thing in life? They’d say: happiness, or love or family.
In ANE the consensus was ‘life well lived meant marriage, children, family. And that makes sense both because relationships are wonderful, but also in a world without a welfare system your closest relationships, your family were your security, safety net and identity.
That’s why Jesus lists these specific things – shorthand for ‘being okay’, ‘being whole’.
The miracle that Jesus is offering therefore is to let go of finding your security, safety net, and identity in good things you can gather.
But rather receive from Jesus security, safety net, and identity, that he will supply himself.
Do you see how this links to the rich ruler? He was a guy who found his security, safety net and identity in his wealth and when Jesus said let yours go and receive mine – he couldn’t do it.
To let go of the thing that makes you feel in control in this world is as hard as threading a camel through the eye of a needle.
But what does it mean to receive: security, safety net, and identity from Jesus alone?
Let’s find one of the hardest situations a human can be in, and see if in that moment the security, safety net, and identity that Jesus provides is worth hoarding those things for yourself.
Turn
In five chapter on from here, we meet man who is dying in extreme agony.
Like the guy in [Luke 13], we do not know his name.
Unlike the guy in [Luke 13], control has been emptied from him – has no power, no wealth, no health, and his family are no where to be seen.
And unlike the guy in [Luke 13], he does not consider himself morally perfect but a criminal.
So where in that moment are the good things Jesus offers - security, safety net, and identity?
