"Poor" rich
man!
Often we hear it said that riches would bring you great
happiness. People who believe this sometimes gamble their lives, or
their money, in the hope of becoming rich. But do riches bring
happiness to all who have them? Certainly not! 1*.
Here is the true story of a rich man who ended up "very sad"!
This young religious ruler came to Jesus saying, "Good teacher,
What must I do to inherit eternal life?" 2*.
Although the young man called Jesus "Good Teacher", Jesus knew he
was not ready to believe that Jesus was God, nor to accept His
authority! 3*.
"Why do you call Me good?" Jesus asked him. "No one is good -
except God alone. You know the commandments, 'Do not commit
adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony,
honour your father and mother.''
"' All these have I kept since I was a boy,' he said."
4*. This young man
was not only rich in money, but rich in good works - he had done
many good things.
Jesus answered him. "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." 5*.
Getting into Heaven and storing up treasure for
yourself in Heaven are two different things. If you come to
trust and follow Jesus as your Saviour you will be ready to get
into Heaven. If you then obey Jesus by using what you have to help
others you will be laying up treasure for yourself in Heaven. But
you can't earn your way to Heaven 6*. and you can't lay up treasure for yourself in
Heaven if you are not ready to go to there!
If you are not ready and willing to trust Jesus as your only Priest
and Saviour to get you to Heaven then you have another
god! Maybe it is religion! Or "self"! or your good works! that
you are thinking will get you to God and Heaven. When Jesus says
He is the only way 7*.do you then refuse to believe that Jesus is a
"good Teacher"?
The young man did! "He became very sad, because he was a man of
great wealth." 8*.
Oh , the "poor" man! Letting his riches keep him from
trusting and obeying Jesus! He certainly did not want Jesus as his
Saviour and Lord!
Jesus looked at this "poor" rich man and said, "'How hard is for
the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Those who heard this asked,
'Who then can be saved?' Jesus replied, 'what is impossible with
men is possible with God.'" 9*.
It is impossible for your goodness or riches to save you. But God,
through Jesus, can certainly save you. Ask Jesus to forgive your
sins, and depend on His love and power to give you "eternal life",
making you ready for Heaven. 10*. Then you will want to use the rest of your
life and your possessions for His Kingdom and His glory. That way
you will not only be going to Heaven but will be laying up treasure
to your account in Heaven. 5*.
Read in Luke's gospel chapter 18, verses 18-27 about this
"poor" rich man whose riches were more
important to him than Jesus was.
Bye for now,
John Nixon, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland. P31HD98. Contact: jnixonj@gmail.com
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Bible quotations from
N.I.V.
1Proverbs 15:27.
23:3-5.
2Luke 18:18.
3Matthew 15:8-9. 1st
Samuel 16:7.
4Luke 18:19-21.
5Luke 18:22. Matthew
6:19-21.
6Romans 3:19-20. Ephesians
2:8-9.
7John 14:6. Acts 4:12.
8Luke 18:23.
9Luke 18:24-27.
10Romans 5:6-11. John
6:35-40.
