How you doin? So I was woken up at 3am by dehydration and a bathroom trip. While awake I started talking to God and I heard Luke 18:24. Whenever this happens I have trouble falling back to sleep because I'm so curious about what that verse says. Not just that verse, but the verses around it. A lot of the times the verses around the verse I hear in prayer are the ones that stand out to me. I'm convinced that the Holy Ghost wants me to find things for myself. It's like the Easter egg hunt. The joy is watching are kids find the eggs. We hind them in places that they will be able to find them based on their age and skill set. When they are very little we hind eggs in the middle of the coffee table and floor in the living room. As they get older we hind them in harder and harder spots to find. As I mature as a follower of Jesus, He knows I'll search until I find His message or lesson for me. That's why when He does this to me at 3am I usually just get up and start praying and reading. Today I did fall back to sleep for a few hours. I'm so exhausted. I did wake up every so often thinking about Luke 18:24.
Luke 18:18-27, "A ruler questioned Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”19 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. 20 You know the commandments, ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’” 21 And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.” 22 When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 23 But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. 24 And Jesus looked at him and said,“How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to [g]go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 They who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” 27 But He said, “The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.”' I warned you that I read around the verse that God gives me. I actually read the entire chapter and Matthew 18 as well. That's another story. This is the story of "The Rich Young Ruler". So this story describes or puts Matthew 16:24 into action. Matt 16:24, "Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me." (NLT) Matt 16:24, "Then said Jesus to his disciples, 'If any one doth will to come after me, let him disown himself, and take up his cross, and follow me," (Young's Literal Translation). Matt 16:24, "Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me." (NASB) I've heard all my live that "money is the root of all evil". Luke 18:24 has been misread and misunderstood for so long that some Christians hate money. Money is good folks. "Self" is the bad thing in this passage. Take another look at verse 22, "When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”' Jesus was simply trying to get this "Rich Young Ruler" to deny himself, disown himself, and to turn from his selfish ways. We have examples of how money can benefit the Kingdom in the right hands. J.C. Penny comes to mind first. We tend to be so stuck in the old covenant and under religious teaching that we can't see past deeds, performance, and sin. Under the influence of religion we read this and think we literally need to sell everything we own. Jesus was appealing to this man's "self". Denying your "self" comes in all shapes and sizes. For me it was drugs and alcohol. My addictions became my identity. It became my "self". If this story were about me it would be titled "The Drunk Drug Addict". Whatever keeps us from our true identity, destiny, and following Jesus MOST GO. This story isn't about bashing money, wealth, and riches, it's about denying your "self" and following Him. Being crucified with Jesus is a good thing. Necromancy is for those you practice black magic and witch craft, not for followers of Jesus. Deny whatever your "self" is today.
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