Luke 18:18-25

A certain ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; Honor your father and mother.’” He replied, “I have kept all these since my youth.” When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “There is still one thing lacking. Sell all that you own and distribute the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” But when he heard this, he became sad; for he was very rich. Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! 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.”

I've read and heard many different ideas about this particularly difficult speech from Jesus. Some tough, and some more liberal. 

Over time, however, I've found that every single time I read this text, I ask myself: "What is it that Jesus is trying to say to me specifically here? What are the words I need to hear?"

And most of the time, those words are literally what Jesus is saying: "How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God."

Because truth is, I have more than I need.

And like the rich young ruler here, it makes me sad to think of giving all of it up.

Where's the grace in that?

Well, I think it is in understanding how Jesus speaks these words. In other versions of this story in the other gospels, Jesus looks with love on this ruler before he gives his words.

And how do his words change if we remember they are spoken with love?

They change in that we remember Jesus is not speaking these words as condemnation or punishment. He is speaking them as understanding and truth.

Jesus sees just how caught up we - like this rich young ruler - can be with our money and possessions. And Jesus knows what we are missing by that.

We are missing the community of love that binds us together in the Kin-dom of God.

Now.

Not simply in some distant reality.

But now. 

If I am so heavy laden with the wealth I possess, then seeing the treasure of God's kin-dom becomes difficult.

But when I let go...I begin to see. I begin to experience that community of love and fellowship once I get past all that is in the way of it.

It's an ongoing struggle for those of us who have much. The chance that we are missing out on something else - something deeper, something bigger - is always there.

Lord, help me to let go of everything that keeps me from you and your people. Amen.