Why couldn't I be the rich young ruler who was asked simply to sell everything, give to the poor and follow Christ. I could deal with that. Why to I have to be like Abraham and have to put a prized possession on the alter. In my case a home and the auction block, v. a son on an alter. And if you think the 2 don't compare then you don't know my history with my oldest son, and how I had to leave him at the alter and see God rescue him. Been there done that on my children... God knows I fully trust Him there. But that's beside the point...
In a modern age it would be incredibly easy to obey Christ's command to the rich young ruler and never flinch. Think about it... Jesus was not talking about making heaven. He was talking about rewards in heaven. Sell and distribute Jesus said... for what? For rewards in heaven.
In the year 2011 the rich young ruler of the story could have sold everything and put in in trust. He could have created a foundation to benefit the poor and yet took care of his needs while alive. Kind of like what Bill Gates and Warren Buffet have done. (Man I can be an evil genius...I do that some times... try to obey the command with out changing my heart)
Can I be truthful here? That's rhetorical... going to do it anyway. My current ongoing lesson in my relationship to God is to discover Him as Provider and Provision. As a result God is taking me to a place (kicking and screaming) where the property He gave me is in jeopardy. I have to lay in on the alter and wait. It is Him saying I gave it to you, are you going to trust me to pay for it? And frankly I am having a real hard time with that. Such a hard time that if I were going to be truthful I would have to say, no.
Really... who cares? I care for one. I care about the embarrassment to me is if God doesn't then what will my wife think? What will my kids think? What will happen to the animals? What will my parents think? What will the dozens of people who read this blog daily think? What about my word?
Fortunately for me I have parents, kids, and a wife who will ride this ship to the bottom of the ocean with me. That is the greatest blessing of all. But what is going to be greater is to discover, to experience God as Provider. I experience Him as Provision every day. He is always with me. He is constantly telling me He loves me. He is constantly telling me its ok, that He is proud of me. Oh but that ego... that flesh... that piece born of and attached to the world is so strong and constantly pulling against Him. Death. That's what that piece needs. And that is what that piece is getting. A slow, agonizing, painful death. But praise God Jesus did it first, and to the degree that I share in that death then hallelujah.
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