I had one of the most wonderful conversations with my oldest son last night. It was after a basketball game, we were talking about the game, school, little brothers and some other things when we arrived at a topic that was highly charged and very emotional. My son’s best friend, who is much more than a friend, he is truly a member of our family that spends at least four afternoons a week at our house, may be moving away soon. These two guys have been together every day in every way since they were five years old; they are such a team that sometimes you can’t see them as individuals. This prospect is difficult for my son; he’s been wrestling with it since he first heard the news a couple of months ago. Last night as we talked, he got very teary because he was forced to consider day to day life being different than it has been for more than half of his life. As we talked about everything that might change I felt the opportunity to direct him toward everything that has happened. Without sharing details, this move will be an answer to years of prayer for Noah’s friend and their family. It will be a miraculous restoration and it is a reason to give thanks. Last night I had the opportunity to teach my son that sometimes, when God answers our requests, it changes our lives.
Matthew, Mark and Luke all tell the story of a rich young man that came to Jesus and asked how he could gain eternal life. The Bible says that Jesus told him to keep the commandments and named some specific ones, the young man responded back that he had kept all of those since he was a boy. Mark then says something interesting, before Jesus speaks again Mark writes, “Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him”. What Mark is trying to convey is that the next things that Jesus is going to say, the response to the man’s request for eternal life is going to be spoken because and out of love.
Many reading this are familiar with Jesus’ response, at least part of it, “Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor”. While this is where we have focused most of our attention, I am not sure that it is the most important part. We fixate on Jesus telling a rich man to sell all of his stuff, not sure why. The first thing Jesus said was “One thing you lack”. He tells the man, “I am going to answer your request for eternal life, but there is something missing in your life.” Jesus was not trying to tell the man that he had too much stuff to have eternal life; Jesus was preparing the man to receive the one thing that he lacked. Jesus’ response was not at all a demand for the man to become poor; it was an invitation for the man to become a follower and a disciple. “Come, take up your cross, and follow Me.” This was not a new thought or teaching just for the rich man, Jesus had told all of His followers these words and many others. In Luke 14 Jesus told everyone listening “whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.” This story is not at all about a man that had too much stuff to have eternal life, it is the story of a rich man that lacked only one thing, an invitation to follow.
I sometimes wonder what the young man had expected to happen as he approached Jesus. Few of us can go into an exchange like that without any expectations. Did he expect to be told he was already in good shape? Did he expect Jesus to tell him to do a few other religious things? Did he ever think that Jesus might tell him that he was excluded somehow? One thing I am sure of though, he never planned on getting an invitation to follow Jesus. Again, in Luke 18, when talking of becoming a disciple, Jesus instructs everyone to “count the cost.” I don’t believe that He was trying to get people to waver in faith or to walk away, but I do believe that He was trying to be crystal clear that you cannot follow Him, as He truly is and continue to live as you lived before you followed Him. Following Jesus has a requirement, I am sure of it, but it is not religious in nature or an act of commission or omission. The requirement to follow Jesus is love. To truly follow Him, to be His disciples, you have to love Him with all of your heart, mind, soul and strength. You have to love Him above everything else. Jesus said “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.” I believe that Jesus is saying that we cannot love anything or anyone in a way that would cause division or even question of Him, His calling and His presence. I don’t believe we are being told to actively hate our family or ourselves, I believe we are being told to love Jesus to such a magnitude that nothing and no one else can possibly compare, distract or divide us from Him.
About four years ago my son started to earnestly pray for his friend. He prayed for his family, for his salvation, for his heart, for his behavior, he prayed for him a lot. Over those years we have seen answers to prayer that we did not expect and some that we did not quickly notice. The last year has been filled with unmistakable answers. Over a year ago his friend surrendered his life to Jesus and just this September I had the joy of baptizing him in water. His family is being blessed with healing in body and mind, with restoration of jobs and relationships and ultimately with the joy of unity. Never once while we prayed did Noah or I consider that when God answered our prayers that it would change our lives. We thought of the joy of salvation, the joy of restoration, and the good things for them, but we honestly never considered the cost. Now, as it looks more and more like our buddy will move away the cost is becoming real and tangible. So is this a reason to be sad? Is it a reason to pray for our way? Is it a reason to try to figure out how we can get God to do His will and our will at the same time? Or, is it a time to take up our cross and follow Jesus?
I have often heard it said and said myself that the sadness of the story of the rich young ruler is that he loved his possessions, his riches more than he loved Jesus. I am not sure that is fair. The sadness of the story might be that the young man did not realize that Jesus loved him so much that He was willing to answer his request for eternal life and invite him to follow. The story is not about riches it is about an invitation to follow, it is about the love of Jesus that will always show us the “one thing we lack” and it is about the opportunity to follow the King of Kings.
Noah learned a hard, but beautiful lesson last night, God answers our requests, and those answers change our lives. One of the last questions of our conversation was if it was worth it. Was his friend’s salvation, healing and joy worth the fact that they may not spend every day together? The answer was a tearful but resounding yes! The final words that Mark tells us about the rich young man are “But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” When we stand at these places where we are faced with the love of God that shows us what we lack and invites us to follow we will often face sadness. In those moments we have two choices, we can go away sad or we can follow, even though sadness. If you are in a place in your life today where a requirement is being made of you, where it seems that God is removing and asking you to let go of things that you have enjoyed, trusted in and been comfortable with, please don’t go away! Believe that Jesus looks at you with love, believe that Jesus is answering your prayers and rejoice at being invited to follow the King of Kings. Your sorrow may endure for the night, but the joy of following the Master will overtake you by morning and then that joy will give you strength.