Five Lessons about Discipleship from the Rich Young Ruler: Lesson Five: Action

“‘One thing you lack,’ he said. ‘Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven.”‘ Mark10:21 Imagine for a moment you are stuck in a traffic jam on the way to work. You can see the exit just a few miles away, but you simply can’t get there. You know what to do and where to go, you just have to take the necessary steps to get to your destination.

The rich young ruler knew what to do, too. I find it hard to believe that Jesus’ words came as a surprise to him. Knowing the Scriptures since he was a young boy means he must have had a knowledge of Scripture for quite some time. Since the Old testament is packed with verses regarding giving to the needy and feeding the poor, the rich man must have understood that one of the characteristics of God was sacrifice.

So why couldn’t he commit do doing it?

One word stood in his way: Go.

It’s easy to go through the motions of the faith by reading the Word, praying and going to church.  But its the application of the Word to our daily lives that poses the biggest challenge. The rich man had the steps and knew where to go. He just wouldn’t allow himself to get there.

Challenge: Where are you? Are you going through the motions of faith? Are you stuck in traffic, knowing where you need to go but not able to get there? In what way(s) can local church body help you get there?

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