What Must I Do - 5

Part 5:

Part 5 is the final part of the "What Must I Do" series.

The very thing that defines us is typically the very thing that exempts us from being true followers, i.e. disciples, of Jesus Christ. The story of “The Rich Young Ruler” comes from Mark 10:17-27. The story I shared with you is a fictional account based on Scripture. Often times I’ve wondered about those characters – those actual people – of the Bible who had brief encounters with Jesus. What did they do? Were their lives changed? In a way the story of the Rich Young Ruler mirrors my own story because that’s exactly who I wanted to be. I wanted to be the young successful guy with power, prestige, fame, and fortune. It inspired me to open my own business using the “Field of Dreams” business model: “If you build it they will come.” Turns out – that’s not true. So after leveraging everything I had and going “all in” my business failed miserably and I lost everything the world told me I needed to be important, successful, relevant, and alive.

I was the antithesis of the Rich Young Ruler, but I had a close relative who was his spitting image: arrogant, prideful, powerful, rich... Season tickets court-side to the NBA games, the wing of a building at a prominent university named after him, vacation homes, sports cars, fine dining every night, trips to Acapulco, Vale, and Europe whenever... and he was the most miserable person I’ve ever met. He made Scrooge look like Elmo. He was always angry, afraid, insecure, anxious, defensive – always worried that someone wanted his money.

One day about three years into running my business (into the ground) I cried out to the LORD and asked God to help me know Him. I’d recently heard the rumors; I listened to the stories of His miracles, His knowledge, and His amazing teachings, but I didn’t know Him. I desperately wanted to - and I was absolutely CERTAIN that simply reciting the words of the "prayer of salvation" wasn't the answer. In failing miserably (or wonderfully?) I’d realized that on one end of the American success paradigm there was me: an absolute failure in business, broke, savings gone, retirement money gone, in tons of debt, single, and living with my parents at age 33. Nobody ever posts that on Facebook... One the other end of the American success spectrum was my relative: the number two executive at one of the most powerful and successful Fortune 100 companies in the world, money beyond measure, homes, toys, independence, affluence... and we were both angry, miserable, exhausted people. So I cried out to God because I knew that regardless of where I landed on the American success paradigm it didn’t matter. Money truly does NOT make you happy; on the contrary an abundance of it often brings tons of other problems and issues.

The Rich Young Ruler defined himself by his wealth, his power, and his status. One Pharisee in Luke Ch 18 defined himself by his righteousness compared to other men; robbers, evildoers, adulterers, tax collectors.  Jesus, God, on the other hand defines us according to His original plan: Genesis Ch 1:26 states, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness...” God has never defined us by our money, our achievements, our failures, our diseases, or even our sin. Our inherent value was perfected in being created by God to enjoy community with God. It has never been improved upon because of anything we’ve done - and here’s the KICKER: It’s never been diminished either – even in our sin. That inherent value has never been blemished because it’s a value that God created, instilled, and sees in us – even though we never did. Because of that inherent value Jesus was born in a manger and went to the Cross – to redeem, reclaim, unchain, and restore something that God has always seen eternal value in – humanity - because God created US in their image and likeness of eternal community.

The story isn’t about human motives. The vehicle to the encounter is irrelevant in the perfection of divine occasion. To say that the young man’s motives - our motives - are not pure would be a profound statement of the obvious. Psalm 53:3 makes it clear that none of us have gone looking for God, but rather God, as the Good Shepherd, pursues hard after us until we are found - or we utterly reject God. Regardless of our motive the Holy Spirit magnifies, accelerates, expedites, and transforms lives permanently – That’s the Divine Grace Encounter.

So the story is about that encounter we all must have with Jesus – and about our response. This Rich Young Ruler had an encounter with God because Jesus is eternally God the Son who crossed every barrier in order that we could experience that life-giving encounter with Him - and us. But coming wasn’t sufficient. The encounter wasn’t enough. Jesus didn’t simply come for the encounter. He didn’t even come to merely plead with us to “Come home.” Jesus came to actually be the way home. What we easily and often forget is that there was still a place called Jerusalem – a place where was the Cross was lurking - a place where the price of sin had to be eternally and perfectly paid-in-full. 

The story really isn’t about the Rich Young Ruler. The story is about us – about you. Like him, you will never be the same after the encounter. You can ignore it and continue down the road to destruction or you can respond in faith and follow, but what you cannot do is ever be the same. After the encounter with Jesus some became – and still become - bloodthirsty monsters filled with hatred and rage calling for His crucifixion. After the encounter, a rare few laid everything down and followed – even though Jesus told them it would cost “Everything.” Once this man named Jesus, God, is encountered, people are never – ever – the same.  We are not qualified, authorized, or called to judge motives. We are not qualified, capable, or called to produce converts – that is the work of the Holy Spirit.  We are however not only capable, qualified, and authorized, but commanded as His disciples to actually be the Body and Bride of Christ, the Church of the relentless pursuit, the Church of the eternally redeeming encounter with Immanuel - God with us.

The answer to the Rich Young Ruler’s question - the question we all must ask God: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” is answered by the Lord in Mk 10:27 “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

Are you ready to ask that question? “What must I do?” If you are sincere and listen the Holy Spirit will tell you. God will reveal to you the very thing that would disqualify you from following and say, “This.”

The real question is will you respond –or- will you simply leave here, jump in your vehicle, head out for brunch and ignore it - ignore Jesus?

As the candlelight of this life dims and the shadows of eternal darkness gather you can either pull up the covers and close your eyes in fear or you can trust in the perfect promise of God Almighty:

No one whose hope is in you

will ever be put to shame.

^{-Psalm 25:3}

 

Blessings,

-Kevin