What Must I Do - 4

Part 4:

 

Most of the candles had burned out in the quiet bedroom. Darkness was closing in around the young ruler. The candles burned low and the flickering shadows on the walls seemed to have distorted faces. The young man drew the covers up to his face and squeezed his eyelids shut. Empty, afraid, and desperately alone was how he felt; he thought his chest might just collapse any moment from the pressure of the consuming void. “How can I feel empty when I have everything?” he thought to himself. “There must be something more.”

In the deafening silence, conscious of the suffocating darkness looming just beyond the dwindling candlelight, the young man reflected back to the words of Jesus, “One thing you lack, go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.  Then come, follow me.”  Lying there in bed, he projected life forward to his last breath and thought, “What then? What will any of ‘this’ matter?” Just then, by grace, the epiphany came and he realized it wouldn’t matter and it never did. He couldn’t explain it, but something inside of him knew that Jesus was not only right, but perfectly so. Jesus had mercifully revealed something that no one else ever did – that no one else ever could. He realized that Jesus’ words were not uttered condescendingly, but out of compassionate love. The young man realized that eternal life was somehow tied to Jesus’ words. More than that he realized eternal life was somehow tied to Jesus Himself. The rich young ruler never even noticed the moment – it seemed like a natural progression of thought, but it was most certainly supernatural. Something that was utter foolishness a moment before was now perfectly clear. “Everything,” he said  in his mind while lying in bed. Then he confidently spoke it out loud, “Everything!” While the servants slept, the young ruler prepared everything. He scribbled on countless scrolls for several hours to get everything ready.

The next morning Asaam knocked on his master’s door to wake him – the usual morning ritual.  When Asaam entered the room he was alarmed to see that his master was gone.  He began to shout as he ran frantically through the halls. One of the other servants stopped him. Jafel said to Asaam, “The master is in the courtyard, and he is asking for you.”  Asaam was absolutely terrified. What had he forgotten? Was today a special occasion, a feast, or a banquet? Asaam wondered how he could have forgotten something so important. The he shuddered as he unconsciously put his hand on his back to feel the heavily textured scars once again.

Asaam entered the courtyard and saw a man who looked like his master surrounded by all the other servants. This man was different though. His hair was different. His clothes were different. This man was wearing a servant's clothing - mended and faded. Asaam did a double take and after rubbing his eyes and closing his jaw he realized it was his master. Asaam ran forward and threw himself at his master’s feet, pleading for forgiveness, “My lord, I have failed you!  Please be merciful!” Without a word the young man kneeled down and helped Asaam to his feet. Asaam looked up and saw his master smile for the first time. Asaam saw kindness in those eyes and tenderness in his face - things he had never seen before in this man.  Asaam looked around at all the other servants and he noticed that they were all holding a scroll or two – and smiling. “My lord” Asaam said, “What is the meaning of all this?” The young man handed Asaam a satchel filled with scrolls as he began to explain, “This one is the deed to this home and it now belongs to you...” 

After the young man had given Asaam a quick inventory of the scrolls, he placed his hand on Asaam’s shoulder and looked dead into Asaam's bewildered eyes. The young man choked on his words as he began to speak. He turned his head for a moment to gather himself – then he began again, “Asaam, my friend, I am so very sorry.” Asaam’s heart was never burdened with malice or hatred for his young master. Asaam’s attention quickly returned to the fullness of this perplexing moment - a moment that compelled Asaam to ask, “Where are you going my lord?”  “Asaam,” the young man said, “I am going to follow Jesus.”

Tune in tomorrow for the conclusion of "What Must I Do?"

Blessings,

-Kevin