The Rich and the Kingdom of God | Luke 18:18-30
18 A certain ruler asked him ,"Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
19 "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good -- except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: 'You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’"
21 "All these I have kept since I was a boy" he said.
22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
23 When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy.
24 Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard is it for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25 Indeed, 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 Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?"
27 Jesus replied "What is impossible with man is possible with God."
28 Peter said to him, "We have left all we had to follow you!"
29 "Truly I tell you," Jesus said to them, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30 will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life."
True discipleship requires surrendering everything to follow Jesus.
God has placed eternity in our hearts.
The rich young ruler had wealth and power and was still searching for something more.
We see this exemplified when the rich young ruler walks away sad after Jesus tells him that not only does he need to hold the commandments, but in order to be welcomed into heaven, he must also give up everything he owns.
Notice, the young man is faced with a choice: total surrender.
Why would God require total surrender in order for us to follow Jesus?
In this parable, Jesus makes it clear that when your career, wealth, possessions or relationships take priority in your life over God, you make the choice to follow a path that is not led by Him.
In other words, he conveys the message that following any of these other roads will lead you away from a life with Jesus, and ultimately an eternity with God.