Tuesday: Idols of the Soul
Read Matthew 19:16-30. As New Testament Christians, how are we to relate to this story today? What lessons can we take from it for ourselves?
Though not much is told us specifically about this man, we can pick up a few salient points. He was rich, a ruler (see Luke 18:18), and apparently a very scrupulous follower of God’s law.
Image © Krieg Barrie from GoodSalt.com
We can see, too, that he sensed something was missing from his life. It reminds one a bit of the story of Martin Luther; though outwardly a pious monk, inside he was dissatisfied with his spiritual life and he struggled with assurance of salvation. In both cases, the men sensed that the great gap between themselves and God was not going to be filled by their outward works.
“This ruler had a high estimate of his own righteousness. He did not really suppose that he was defective in anything, yet he was not altogether satisfied. He felt the want of something that he did not possess. Could not Jesus bless him as He blessed the little children, and satisfy his soul want?”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 518.
Some people might argue that, in this story, Jesus is teaching that we receive eternal life based on our good works. After all, in Matthew 19:17 Jesus says, “If you want to enter life, keep the commandments” (NIV). If this were the only text on that subject, one could make an argument here. But too many other texts, especially in Paul’s writings, teach that the law does not save but rather points to our need of salvation (see Rom. 3:28; Gal. 3:21-22; Rom. 7:7). Instead, Jesus must have been guiding this man to see his own great need of more than what he was doing. After all, if keeping the law alone could do it, then the man would already have salvation, since he was scrupulous in keeping it. The gospel needs to penetrate the heart, to go right to the idols of the soul, and whatever we are holding onto that’s an impediment to our relationship to God needs to be gone. In this case, it was his money. Jesus notes how hard it is for a rich man to be saved; and yet, shortly after this dialog, Luke records a beautiful story of exactly that happening (see Luke 19:1-10).
| If you were in the position of the rich man, and you asked Jesus the same question, what do you think He would say to you? Dwell on the implications of your answer. |
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The rich young ruler or needed to give up one more thing,and that was selfishness--the same thing we all need to give up.
God wishes to replace our selfishness with his love. He can do this when we give permission for his Holy Spirit to do it within us in any given issue.
The young man could not visualise himself without his riches, to be with the one who provided him with the riches. We often allow self to over shadow what God want to give us because of the disire of the flesh we cannot see how God would be able to sustain us without the things we think we have work so hard for. But if we allow God to fill in the blank in our lives we would come to the conclusion that all things are possible with God and we will lack notthing.
Giving is the opposite of selfishness. Before sin, Adam and Eve were not required to give any sacrifice except devotion to God. That meant they were to stay away from the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil. After sin (selfishness) a gift was required.
For the rich young ruler it seems the situation was disappointing for two reasons. The first may have come as somewhat of a shock. Somewhat like many others, keeping the commandments was apparently the way to earn salvation. This was his record so that was justifiable. To find that there was something else that was lacking, was just not possible. This was unheard of. You see the rich young ruler had all his ducks in a row so to speak. To give all that wealth away also, was another tremendous shock. He originally was looking for eternal life and looking for a way to secure it. Jesus did not have the answers the rich young ruler wanted to hear. How about us? Can we be looking in the right places to secure our eternal life? Are our motives and choices correct?
This lesson deals with the crux of being a Christian! Man looks at the outward appearance but God looks at the heart! Keeping the Law can sometimes just be an outward appearance, and being rich and keeping the Law in the young ruler's case was not enough to satisfy the inward part that God looks at...
Jesus saw in this ruler just the help He needed if the young man would become a colaborer with Him in the work of salvation. If he would place himself under Christ's guidance, he would be a power for good. In a marked degree the ruler could have represented Christ; for he possessed qualifications, which, if he were united with the Saviour, would enable him to become a divine force among men. -The Desire of Ages pp 519.3
This tells me more about what I also may be doing. The rich young ruler was sorrowful over earthly possessions that rust, moth and extreme weathers could have destroyed in a second. To him they looked very valuable that he could not bear separating from them for no gain. Little did he know how powerful a weapon He could be if he surrendered all for the cause of God. Eternity was given up for momentary pleasure. What a tragedy!
Idols form a wedge between the soul and the Creator. Whatever we hold on to that becomes an impediment to our relationship to God needs to be banished. In the case of the rich young ruler it was his money that formed a wedge between him and God. On the other hand, Zaccheus was willing to give up whatever it took in order to develop a right relationship. Two persons, two different perspectives.
What is it that's forming a wedge between us and out God? Is it money, wealth, job/work, families etc. Let's seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness then all things will be added unto us.
It is selfishness
One a sinner by reputation. The other perfect by reputation. Both made serious changes in their destinies. Their eternal salvation. There may be some conjecture as to timing in Zacchaeus' life. For a tax collector with the reputation of a sinner, it is not normal to give back money acquired through false pretenses plus 40%. As well as 50% of his personal belongings. Zacchaeus said to Jesus, I give those things. That would normally be past tense. Zacchaeus was at least curious to see what Jesus looked like. If their was more to it than that, that would be conjecture.
Depending on one's interests & schedules, idols can be of a material or secular nature...and yet to those who spend more time with religious/church matters and responsibilities, idols can be very subtle and deceptive. Idols can be the bible,(bibliolatry) blood of Jesus (hemolatry), the church denomination/institution,and even a warped concept of Jesus (anti-Christ). How can one perceive the religious idols? What gets most of our mental/cognitive time/meditation and affections?
Imitation Jesus idols can be made by teachers who cut & paste bible verses to form a being who has a character and attributes that are not Christ like.
There are those in Christian circles who overemphasize the significance of the shed blood in the plan of salvation. Jesus mentioned how the religious leaders searched the scriptures for eternal life and then said how the scriptures testified of Him.
The rich young ruler had to ASK Jesus what he has to do to be saved; the tax collector did not have to ask Jesus that question. He TOLD Jesus what he would do, it seems off his personal conviction or volition.
Self need be eliminated for a person to be in tune with the savior. If you lay your hands on Gods service sacrifice all to let Him use you in His Vineyard.
Jesus truly was the ultimate Messenger from God (Heb 1:1-2). He invites humanity to "learn from Him" (Mt 11:28-29), so we spurn that invitation at our own peril (Deut 18:18-19). In the sense of Prov 25:28, we're all rulers like the rich, young ruler. His problem gives us insight into what is ours--no one excluded. The young man's problem wasn't his wealth, but rather his mind's attitude towards, in his particular case, wealth. Each of us may just as easily exchange places with him by inserting innumerable manifestations, physical and non-physical, of the one thing God judges offensive (Gen 8:21; Mt 12:34).
Jesus taught that His approved followers must undergo a transformation that necessitates self-denial (Mt 16:24; 10:37). He taught that the preeminent commandment was a supreme love to God (Mk 12:30). In responding to the young man's question, Jesus directs him to the commandments as a first step (Mt 19:17). Paul points out that the law is intended for our benefit and is a good thing (Rm 7:12), but it's purpose is to bring us to a state of awareness of our greater need (Gal 3:21-24). Paul also pointed out that the law has limitations (Rom 8: 3-4), just like the entirety of the OT sanctuary system (Heb 9:1, 8-9).
The young ruler was brought face to face with his Creator, with life without "lack" just within his reach (Jn 10:10). However, the repeated tragedy of human self-centeredness got the best of him and for his own "good" reason(s), he overrules his Creator's commandment (Mt 19:21). Human self-centeredness is always at the root of our decisions to violate our Creator's will. Human self-centeredness is the root of murder, adultery, theft and deception, the commandments which Jesus referenced governing our human relationships (Mt 19:18-19). It figures with equal prominence in our flawed relationship with our Creator (Lk 14:16-21, 26-27). Scripture reveals that no external law, divine or human, heals this wound inflicted in the human mind by satan in Eden. Humanity has no hope of this condition's reversal except as offered by God, through faith in Christ (Jn 1:29; Heb 8:10; 9:14; Deut 30:6).
AMEN'