What is Good for Our Hearts
16 And someone came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?” 17 And He said to him, “Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” 18 Then he *said to Him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not commit murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; 19 Honor your father and mother; and You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 The young man *said to Him, “All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” (Matt 19:16-21, NASB)
Within the text above is one of the questions so many of us have. On one hand, we take part in a lot of Christian activities, like going to church, reading our Bibles, spending time with various church groups, but many of us continue living with a profound emptiness inside of us wondering, "[...] What shall I do to obtain eternal life?" Okay, maybe our question doesn't come out exactly like that, but let's try to decode it and see what this young man meant by it. This question is a little confusing to us in the 21st century. So much of our idea of Christianity is future oriented. When we hear "eternal life" we often think about the afterlife and matters to do with heaven and hell. However, 1st century Jewish people (like the rich young ruler) probably understood this idea of eternal life not only in the future, but something they could access and experience in the present. It may be better explained as: a life of closeness with God and pleasing God. Notice how Jesus does not say, "[...] But if you wish to enter eternal life [...]" in verse 17b, but simply "life".
After Jesus asks some further questions, it becomes clear that this rich young ruler has a distorted idea of what it looks like to follow God. To him, knowing God has to do with obeying and adhering to certain "do's" and "don't's". Notice that Jesus does not condemn his actions, but instead urges this man to look in a different direction and take his devotion a step further. Jesus advises the man to sell everything, give the money to the poor and follow Him. In other words, if this rich young ruler wants to have it all, the so-called "eternal life", he needs to give it all away and follow Jesus. Paradoxical, isn't it?
This story highlights an important aspect of Jesus' teaching. Jesus doesn't seem interested in the rich young ruler viewing the Law as an end in itself. Jesus does not want us to view God's Law and commandments as a to-do list, but something deeper that has God at the forefront and not our actions or inactions. Obedience to God's command should be a response to His wonderful gift, rather than a way to obtain it.
Jesus' guidance to this man reminds me of an ethical theory called virtue ethics. Virtue ethics is quite different from the typical idea of duty, or obligation, found in most ethical deliberation (as seen in the rich young ruler's life). Instead of asking: what is right and what is wrong? or: What is my duty? Virtue ethics asks: Who am I becoming? How are my actions and thoughts impacting who I will become? How are my actions and mindset impacting my character? Jesus knows that even though the rich young ruler is attempting to live correctly according to what is written in the Law, he is not understanding the full extent of its purpose. The young ruler is not on the best possible path to becoming what Jesus desires. Jesus sees, as he does in all of us, the illnesses the rich young ruler has. The young man has a misplaced focus on merely what was written in the Law and great wealth that he is enslaved to (we learn more about this idea in Luke's version- Lk 18:18-24). By selling his possessions, giving all of the money away and following Jesus, the man will take a step to becoming someone who knows and pleases God. The suggested actions by Jesus do not seem to be a requirement to find favor with God, but rather the way the rich young ruler can begin to see God and life more as it actually is. In the eyes of Jesus, the rich young ruler's actions and thoughts shouldn't be as consumed by himself and his belongings as they currently are.
This passage in Matthew is so helpful for our daily lives as followers of Christ because it reminds us that though we may be doing good things (like the man keeping God's Law), we may not be on the most ideal path to becoming more like Jesus and living as He would desire us to.
Many of us may not have the exact same problem that the rich young ruler has. Maybe we don't have lots of money or possessions, maybe we do. However, the truth of this story can be more generally applied. Let's think about applying it to a situation when we come into contact with people begging for money in public.
At one point or another, we've all been there. You're driving in your car or walking on the sidewalk and at an intersection is someone begging for money with a sign or verbally asking for financial help. Many of us know, that giving money isn't always the best idea in such situations, even though it's what the person may be asking for. Not everyone begging has an addiction or will use the money in a destructive way. However, things like drugs and alcohol are sometimes easily accessible for people on the street and affordably so. Sometimes its better to be safe than to enable someone's bad habits. However, doing nothing and defending our inaction may not be turning us into the compassionate, loving people Christ wants us to become. The hard truth is, sometimes the action that seems sensible (like the rich young ruler keeping all his money) is not good for our hearts and character, and the action that seems not-so-sensible (like giving everything away and following Jesus) is good for our hearts.
Here's an example of how we can respond to people begging for money in a way that shows God's love and contributes to us becoming more like Christ:
The book Under the Overpass: A Journey of Faith on the Streets of America is an amazing, firsthand account of Mike Yankoski and his friend Sam as they lived as homeless people in many large American cities. In the book the author writes about his experience begging and how you can dignify someone in that difficult state. Yankoski writes, "[...] I think the most meaningful gift might be your genuine attention and caring. It was amazing how much a smile or quick hello did for Sam and me on the streets, partly because such kindnesses were so rare. When someone stopped to talk, even for a minute, the underlying message was, 'I notice you, you're a human being, and you're worthy of my time.'".
What I love about Yankoski's words is that it highlights what simple eye contact and conversation can do for someone who is experiencing a less than ideal situation, especially because people begging for money are often treated as if they are invisible. If you have ever spoken or taken a moment to identify with someone begging for money, you probably felt how it impacted and stretched your own heart. It's a small action that can lead you to become more like the compassionate and loving God we serve.
Next time you are in one of these trying and uncomfortable situations, stop for a moment and consider an action that may make an individual feel more noticed and human. Sometimes the small action of making an emotional connection can be the best thing for your heart and the other person. Be open to trust that God through simple eye contact or a, "how are you?" can bring a meaningful change. You might find that in these simple actions you begin to feel as if you are living into eternal life now. This action may not end the cycle of poverty overnight, but it puts us into a posture to see more clearly how we can spread God's love to those around us.
May God be gracious to us as we continue to humbly learn what it means to be Jesus' disciples. Amen.
Within the text above is one of the questions so many of us have. On one hand, we take part in a lot of Christian activities, like going to church, reading our Bibles, spending time with various church groups, but many of us continue living with a profound emptiness inside of us wondering, "[...] What shall I do to obtain eternal life?" Okay, maybe our question doesn't come out exactly like that, but let's try to decode it and see what this young man meant by it. This question is a little confusing to us in the 21st century. So much of our idea of Christianity is future oriented. When we hear "eternal life" we often think about the afterlife and matters to do with heaven and hell. However, 1st century Jewish people (like the rich young ruler) probably understood this idea of eternal life not only in the future, but something they could access and experience in the present. It may be better explained as: a life of closeness with God and pleasing God. Notice how Jesus does not say, "[...] But if you wish to enter eternal life [...]" in verse 17b, but simply "life".
After Jesus asks some further questions, it becomes clear that this rich young ruler has a distorted idea of what it looks like to follow God. To him, knowing God has to do with obeying and adhering to certain "do's" and "don't's". Notice that Jesus does not condemn his actions, but instead urges this man to look in a different direction and take his devotion a step further. Jesus advises the man to sell everything, give the money to the poor and follow Him. In other words, if this rich young ruler wants to have it all, the so-called "eternal life", he needs to give it all away and follow Jesus. Paradoxical, isn't it?
This story highlights an important aspect of Jesus' teaching. Jesus doesn't seem interested in the rich young ruler viewing the Law as an end in itself. Jesus does not want us to view God's Law and commandments as a to-do list, but something deeper that has God at the forefront and not our actions or inactions. Obedience to God's command should be a response to His wonderful gift, rather than a way to obtain it.
Jesus' guidance to this man reminds me of an ethical theory called virtue ethics. Virtue ethics is quite different from the typical idea of duty, or obligation, found in most ethical deliberation (as seen in the rich young ruler's life). Instead of asking: what is right and what is wrong? or: What is my duty? Virtue ethics asks: Who am I becoming? How are my actions and thoughts impacting who I will become? How are my actions and mindset impacting my character? Jesus knows that even though the rich young ruler is attempting to live correctly according to what is written in the Law, he is not understanding the full extent of its purpose. The young ruler is not on the best possible path to becoming what Jesus desires. Jesus sees, as he does in all of us, the illnesses the rich young ruler has. The young man has a misplaced focus on merely what was written in the Law and great wealth that he is enslaved to (we learn more about this idea in Luke's version- Lk 18:18-24). By selling his possessions, giving all of the money away and following Jesus, the man will take a step to becoming someone who knows and pleases God. The suggested actions by Jesus do not seem to be a requirement to find favor with God, but rather the way the rich young ruler can begin to see God and life more as it actually is. In the eyes of Jesus, the rich young ruler's actions and thoughts shouldn't be as consumed by himself and his belongings as they currently are.
This passage in Matthew is so helpful for our daily lives as followers of Christ because it reminds us that though we may be doing good things (like the man keeping God's Law), we may not be on the most ideal path to becoming more like Jesus and living as He would desire us to.
Many of us may not have the exact same problem that the rich young ruler has. Maybe we don't have lots of money or possessions, maybe we do. However, the truth of this story can be more generally applied. Let's think about applying it to a situation when we come into contact with people begging for money in public.
At one point or another, we've all been there. You're driving in your car or walking on the sidewalk and at an intersection is someone begging for money with a sign or verbally asking for financial help. Many of us know, that giving money isn't always the best idea in such situations, even though it's what the person may be asking for. Not everyone begging has an addiction or will use the money in a destructive way. However, things like drugs and alcohol are sometimes easily accessible for people on the street and affordably so. Sometimes its better to be safe than to enable someone's bad habits. However, doing nothing and defending our inaction may not be turning us into the compassionate, loving people Christ wants us to become. The hard truth is, sometimes the action that seems sensible (like the rich young ruler keeping all his money) is not good for our hearts and character, and the action that seems not-so-sensible (like giving everything away and following Jesus) is good for our hearts.
Here's an example of how we can respond to people begging for money in a way that shows God's love and contributes to us becoming more like Christ:
The book Under the Overpass: A Journey of Faith on the Streets of America is an amazing, firsthand account of Mike Yankoski and his friend Sam as they lived as homeless people in many large American cities. In the book the author writes about his experience begging and how you can dignify someone in that difficult state. Yankoski writes, "[...] I think the most meaningful gift might be your genuine attention and caring. It was amazing how much a smile or quick hello did for Sam and me on the streets, partly because such kindnesses were so rare. When someone stopped to talk, even for a minute, the underlying message was, 'I notice you, you're a human being, and you're worthy of my time.'".
What I love about Yankoski's words is that it highlights what simple eye contact and conversation can do for someone who is experiencing a less than ideal situation, especially because people begging for money are often treated as if they are invisible. If you have ever spoken or taken a moment to identify with someone begging for money, you probably felt how it impacted and stretched your own heart. It's a small action that can lead you to become more like the compassionate and loving God we serve.
Next time you are in one of these trying and uncomfortable situations, stop for a moment and consider an action that may make an individual feel more noticed and human. Sometimes the small action of making an emotional connection can be the best thing for your heart and the other person. Be open to trust that God through simple eye contact or a, "how are you?" can bring a meaningful change. You might find that in these simple actions you begin to feel as if you are living into eternal life now. This action may not end the cycle of poverty overnight, but it puts us into a posture to see more clearly how we can spread God's love to those around us.
May God be gracious to us as we continue to humbly learn what it means to be Jesus' disciples. Amen.
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