I am the rich young man.
I come to Jesus with the question that all of ask all the time: What must I do to inherit eternal life? I want to know, need to know, because I am young and know nothing of death other than my grandpa, when I was 7, before I could truly understand. I want to know, need to know, because I love breathing cold air, how crisp and clean it tastes, and I love standing in the sun and soaking the warmth straight into my skin. But I'm tired of taking in the tar, too.
He tells me that I must keep the Commandments. There are 613 of them, but that's okay. I can do this. If I keep 613 Commandments for 70 years, I am in. The fresh air. The freedom.
But wait, just to be completely clear, is there anything I still lack? I've kept these Commandments since I was a boy. But you're here, now, Jesus, and I don't want to miss this chance. I want to make sure I'm in.
"If you would be perfect," He says, "go sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.
"And come, follow me."
This is a story from Matthew 19. This is my story. This is your story. Those are my questions. Those are your questions. That is Jesus' answer. This is the rich man's response: He went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. That, too, is my response.
I call myself a Christian, but my life does not look like Christ's. I don't love my enemies (I often don't love my friends), I don't do good to those who hate me, I don't hide it when I fast, I shout it from the rooftops, I don't want to be last, I don't want to be humble, I want to be highly exalted, and so I do it myself, I don't heal the sick, I don't raise the dead, I don't cast out demons. I lust and I am angry and I want revenge for the smallest slight. I am anxious. I am afraid.
So I must be out. So, who can be saved?
"With man, this is impossible," Jesus says. "But with God, all things are possible."
So I'm in.
I deserve nothing, can earn nothing, but have been given everything by grace and mercy and a love that casts out fears and can't be comprehended. So this is my response: to extend that grace and mercy and love to everyone. I want to do this, need to do this, because it is the only thing that makes sense anymore. I want to do this, need to do this, for the whole world. And so, for the first time, I am going.
I am following.
Please take my hand and follow along with me. Borrow my lungs and breathe in the Asian air, borrow my skin and soak up the African sun, borrow my eyes and stare at the smiles, borrow my hands and wipe away the tears and feed the hungry. Borrow my heart and help me show everyone I meet the spring of water that wells up to eternal life.
Join me and let's really learn what it looks like to hunger and thirst for righteousness.
God promises that we will be satisfied.
