The beloved physician Luke wrote how, “a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why do you call me good? none is good, save one, that is, God. You know the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and your mother. And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up. Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lack you one thing: sell all that you have, and distribute unto the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me”, and in chapter eighteen and verse twenty-three of his book Luke wrote when the ruler heard this, “he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich” where we read:
And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.
The verse reads, “And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful:” Luke began with the words, “and when” or “and at the time and moment” “he heard this” which means “the certain ruler was given the capacity for hearing, perceived, understood, discovered and discerned what Jesus said”, “he was very sorrowful” or “the ruler was exceedingly sorrowful, intensely sad and grieved all around”. Luke shared how the “ruler” “heard” Jesus' words and was “exceedingly sad and grieved”.
The verse continues, “for he was very rich.” Luke added the words, “for he” or “because, since and on account that the ruler” “was very rich” which means “was exceedingly wealthy, abounding in material resources and abundant in supply”. Luke shared the reason the “ruler” was “extremely sadden” was because he was “exceedingly wealthy”.
When we consider Luke's words in this verse, we learn what happened when the “certain ruler” “heard” what Jesus told Him to do. Because he was “very wealthy”, selling everything he had and giving it to the poor would totally alter his lifestyle. This was a cost that was too great for the “ruler” to pay, and it saddened him to walk away from Jesus. God gives gifts and provision unto people, and when they recognize they would have nothing if it were not for Him, they should yield their lives to His Son Jesus as their personal “Savior and Lord”. There is no need to be “very sorrowful” when a person submit to Jesus and understands treasure in this life is temporary and fails to compare with the “treasure” that shall be obtained in heaven for all who believe and trust in Him.
Next time Luke shares how Jesus says, “how hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
“Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the
marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the
Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
No comments:
Post a Comment