23rd October

You who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, ... buy without money and without cost. Give ear and come to me; hear me that your soul may live. Isaiah 55, 1 & 3

What is your choice?

A young man comes near to Jesus and asks him an important question:
- What do I have to do to have eternal life?
- Jesus answers: obey the commandments.
- He says, I have obeyed all this, is there anything more I have to do?
- Go home; sell what you have and give the money to the poor. Then you will have a treasure in heaven. Then, come and follow me.

This answer places this young man before a vital choice: either he has to get rid of all his goods to follow Jesus and to acquire the true, spiritual and heavenly riches or else continue to increase his fortune with the fear of loosing it and having an unsatisfied heart.

What does he do? He turns away from Jesus and goes away very sad!

It is not because he is rich that this young man cannot be saved. It is because money fills his heart and money is his idol. Jesus knows this.

How can one amass a treasure in heaven? The earthly riches devalue and they are the prey of stealers. If you put your confidence in God then you will take part of his "incomparable riches of his grace" (Ephesians 2, 7).

God gives his children to be:
- rich in good works (1 Timothy 6, 18)
- rich in faith (James 2, 5)
- rich towards God (Luke 12, 21)
- rich in true heavenly riches.