Question:
I have been thinking about this lately, and just how much does God want you to give?
In this passage, Jesus tells the man to give up all he owns and follow him, and that the rich would have a very hard time entering the Kingdom of God. How literally is this intended to be taken?
Does he really mean that you need to leave your family and all your possessions? I think its not that literal, but how far is meant?
Answer:
Originally Posted by two+two=FIVE!!! I have been thinking about this lately, and just how much does God want you to give?
In this passage, Jesus tells the man to give up all he owns and follow him, and that the rich would have a very hard time entering the Kingdom of God. How literally is this intended to be taken?
Does he really mean that you need to leave your family and all your possessions? I think its not that literal, but how far is meant? I would say one would have to be emotionally and mentally prepared to leave it all behind. The idea is detachment from possessions and attachment to the Kingdom of God.
For those called by God this literally happens. But for the rest of us, we can't be mastered by possessions and materialism.
In my own life, my fiancee and I are looking into joining the Peace Corps after graduation. This would literally require us to detach from all our possessions and attachments to western consumerism for over two years. While it would probably hurt at first (literally hurt) I think in the end it will be the most freeing experience of our life.
Answer:
I think he was offering that man an absolutely amazing chance to be an Apostle. I think that the message for us is, as was already said, to be wary of making money an idol in your life over the things of God. This was a direct problem that this particular man had.
Answer:
Originally Posted by two+two=FIVE!!! I have been thinking about this lately, and just how much does God want you to give?
In this passage, Jesus tells the man to give up all he owns and follow him, and that the rich would have a very hard time entering the Kingdom of God. How literally is this intended to be taken?
Does he really mean that you need to leave your family and all your possessions? I think its not that literal, but how far is meant?
It's like, what did Jesus mean when he said to pluck out your eyes and cut off your hands and feet? Sometimes Jesus' words are kind of exaggerated, I think we can assume that He doesn't intend for Christians to sell all that they have and pluck out their eyeballs.
Answer:
Originally Posted by two+two=FIVE!!! I have been thinking about this lately, and just how much does God want you to give?
In this passage, Jesus tells the man to give up all he owns and follow him, and that the rich would have a very hard time entering the Kingdom of God. How literally is this intended to be taken?
Does he really mean that you need to leave your family and all your possessions? I think its not that literal, but how far is meant?
Luk 18:22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me."
First of all, notice the irony in Jesus telling a rich man he lacks something.
Money and possessions are definitely the subject here but they won't be with many Christians, so money will not be the subject for them. So what is the lesson that Jesus wants to teach us?
It is this: we all have "one thing we lack" and we [hopefully] know what that thing is.
We need to give it up, for if we don't, then like the rich young ruler, we will not truly be able to follow Jesus.
Chris
Answer:
I think God wants you to give all. By that, I mean use all for His glory and for His purposes.