Slices
Prepare
Where is our investment? Is it here on earth or is it up above?
Bible passage
The rich and the kingdom of God
17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. ‘Good teacher,’ he asked, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’
18 ‘Why do you call me good?’ Jesus answered. ‘No one is good – except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: “You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honour your father and mother.”’
20 ‘Teacher,’ he declared, ‘all these I have kept since I was a boy.’
21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. ‘One thing you lack,’ he said. ‘Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’
22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
23 Jesus looked round and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!’
24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, ‘Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’
26 The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, ‘Who then can be saved?’
27 Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.’
28 Then Peter spoke up, ‘We have left everything to follow you!’
29 ‘Truly I tell you,’ Jesus replied, ‘no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields – along with persecutions – and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.’
Explore
The legend of King Gondoforos, well known in my eastern culture, speaks of how he invited an apostle who was a carpenter to build a castle for him. Instead of building the castle, the apostle distributed the money provided to the poor. When the king summoned him, the apostle answered that the castle for the king is already ready in heaven. The furious king imprisoned the apostle. The same night, the king dreamed that he was at the pearly gates. He was shown a beautiful house and was told, ‘This is what you have invested while you lived on earth.’ The king woke up from his dream and ordered the immediate release of the apostle and dedicated the rest of his life to the service of the poor and the ordinary.
In asking what he had to do to inherit eternal life (v 17), I wonder what the rich man was expecting Jesus to say. Perhaps he was hoping that his keeping of the commandments would be enough (v 20). We do not hear whether or not the rich man did do as Jesus told him to do. It is one of the many unanswered questions in the Bible! What do you think?
Jesus says, ‘all things are possible with God’ (v 27). We may not always know the impact of words spoken and how they may later bear fruit.
Respond
Pray: ‘Help me, O Lord, to see the riches of the kingdom of God more than the riches of this world.’
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Isaiah 33,34; Hebrews 2
Pray for Scripture Union
Our new Bible Engagement apps for Daily Bread and Encounter with God have been well received since their relaunch in February. Please pray for the team as they consider ways of improving them, making it easier for more people to engage with the Bible in ways that are convenient to them.
