You Can Take it With You

After my first wife died I had every expectation that I would live out my life as bachelor and began to clean the house of things I wouldn't need. I was amazed at the amount of stuff we had gathered over 60 years of marriage and 52 years of living in the same house. A small part of it had sentimental value and was retained. The rest of it had very little material value as was confirmed in an auction.

I know of a wealthy widow who, according to her relatives, could no longer safely live at home and needed to be in an assisted living facility. She resisted the move until she had no choice The reason for her resistance? She had many fine and valuable possessions and she could not take every single one of them to the facility.

When it comes to the accumulation of wealth and possessions I have observed that there is a point reached of too much but not a point of enough. An outsider might say of the super rich that they have wealth for several lifetimes (too much) but that will not stop the wealthy from seeking to add to their fortunes (not enough).

In the 10th Chapter of Mark Jesus encounters a man who "ran up to him and knelt before him."
Luke says he was a ruler and Matthew that he was young but all 3 writers agree he was rich.
This is the 4th of 4 people so far in Mark who have run up to Jesus seeking something only he could provide; wholeness for a leper, healing for a woman, restoration for a demoniac and now for this rich man, the key to eternal life. The fact that each ran to Jesus portrays their desperation and their belief that, at last, they had found the one who could supply the solution to their problem.

Jesus gives the rich man a short quiz of which Jesus already knew the answers. Jesus was satisfied that the man was devout and sincere. Perhaps the man expected Jesus' blessing,
approval or a few easy to follow instructions and then he could be on his way. It didn't happen.
Jesus did say that in order for the man to achieve his goal there was one obstacle standing in his way, the thing he loved more than God; his wealth.

A sad story and not a popular part of scripture. That may be because we sense that it is not only addressed to the wealthy but to everyone who has erected an idol in place of God. Idols? Who, me? Yes, me.
Consider Matthew 10:37,38: "If you love father and mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if love your son or daughter more than me you are not worthy of being mine. If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine."

Of course Jesus is not saying we shouldn't have other loves and allegiances. He is saying that every love, allegiance, relationship, ambition, goal or desire we have is secondary to loving and trusting him. He will not accept anything but first place in our lives. Considering what he has done for us, that is a perfectly reasonable position and you can't beat the rewards.

Matthew 10:29-30 "I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "No on who has left home or brothers or sisters or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters,mothers, children and fields- and with them , persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life."

1 Corinthians 2:9 "Eye has not seen nor ear heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love him."

1 Corinthians 13:13 "There are three things that remain, faith, hope and love, and the greatest of these is love."

When we go to heaven we will no longer need faith because we will see Jesus. We will no longer need hope because are hope will be realized. What we will take with us and keep, is Love.