Bible League: Living His Word Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."— Matthew 19:21 NIV A young man who had great wealth came to Jesus with a question. He asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?" (Matthew 19:16). Jesus told him to keep the commandments, and He mentioned several of them. The young man answered by saying, "All these I have kept... What do I still lack?" (Matthew 19:20). That's when Jesus answered with the words of our verse for today: "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." When he heard this, the young man went away sad, because he was unwilling to give up his wealth. According to our verse for today, Jesus wants His followers to be perfect. This does not mean that we must achieve moral perfection in this life. If that were the case, then no one would ever be perfect. The word "perfect" in this context refers to that which is complete, that which has all its parts, that which lacks nothing. The followers of Jesus must be complete in the sense that there must not be anything that keeps us from following Him. If there is something that keeps that from happening, then that something needs to go. For the wealthy young man, the thing that needed to go was his wealth. In his case, it was a snare that kept him from following Jesus whole heartedly. Thus, Jesus' command to sell everything and give to the poor was not meant to be a universal principle that every follower must obey, but it was a command for this young man. Since wealth was a snare for him, since it was something that was more important to him than it should have been, it had to go. Wealth, of course, is not the only thing that keeps people from following Jesus. There are many things in life that can do that. As followers, we must recognize our idols and give them up because Jesus is better. Today, ask yourself this question: "Is there anything in my life that is keeping me, or hindering me from following Jesus, from doing the things he wants me to do?" Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingPsalm 148-150 Psalm 148 -- Praise the Lord from the heavens! Praise him in the heights! NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Psalm 149 -- Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints. NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Psalm 150 -- Praise God in his sanctuary! Praise him in his heavens for his acts of power! NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading 1 Corinthians 11:16-34 1 Corinthians 11 -- Reverence in Worship; The Lord's Supper NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.Insight Power from the Holy Spirit is not limited to strength beyond the ordinary—that power also involves courage, boldness, confidence, insight, ability, and authority. The disciples would need all these gifts to fulfill their mission. Challenge If you believe in Jesus Christ, you can experience the power of the Holy Spirit in your life. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Psalm 73:24 Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.The Psalmist felt his need of divine guidance. He had just been discovering the foolishness of his own heart, and lest he should be constantly led astray by it, he resolved that God's counsel should henceforth guide him. A sense of our own folly is a great step towards being wise, when it leads us to rely on the wisdom of the Lord. The blind man leans on his friend's arm and reaches home in safety, and so would we give ourselves up implicitly to divine guidance, nothing doubting; assured that though we cannot see, it is always safe to trust the all-seeing God. "Thou shalt," is a blessed expression of confidence. He was sure that the Lord would not decline the condescending task. There is a word for thee, O believer; rest thou in it. Be assured that thy God will be thy counsellor and friend; he shall guide thee; he will direct all thy ways. In his written Word thou hast this assurance in part fulfilled, for holy Scripture is his counsel to thee. Happy are we to have God's Word always to guide us! What were the mariner without his compass? And what were the Christian without the Bible? This is the unerring chart, the map in which every shoal is described, and all the channels from the quicksands of destruction to the haven of salvation mapped and marked by one who knows all the way. Blessed be thou, O God, that we may trust thee to guide us now, and guide us even to the end! After this guidance through life, the Psalmist anticipates a divine reception at last--"and afterward receive me to glory." What a thought for thee, believer! God himself will receive thee to glory--thee! Wandering, erring, straying, yet he will bring thee safe at last to glory! This is thy portion; live on it this day, and if perplexities should surround thee, go in the strength of this text straight to the throne. Daily Light on the Daily Path Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,Isaiah 29:19 The afflicted also will increase their gladness in the LORD, And the needy of mankind will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. Matthew 8:3,4 Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. • And Jesus said to him, "See that you tell no one; but go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them." 1 Corinthians 3:4 For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not mere men? 1 Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 1 Timothy 6:11 But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. Matthew 11:29 "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. 1 Peter 2:21-23 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, • WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; • and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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