Article October 10, 1994 Issue

Selling, giving, and following

Joan Tomarkin Lucht

All of it? Sell everything he had worked for all his life? Give to the poor? Follow Jesus?

The man must have thought the demand on him would be easier. After all, he was a good man; he had followed the rules. But now Christ Jesus had told him, "There is none good but one, that is, God." And the Master said that to be perfect and have eternal life, he should not only obey the Commandments but sell what he had, "and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me" (Matt. 19:17, 21). The account of this conversation in the Gospel of Matthew says that the man had great possessions. As he went away sadly, perhaps he was thinking what many of us may have thought: "I can't just give away all that I've worked so hard for. I have to think of my family and my security in my old age."

Recently, I found myself trying to move beyond the literal meaning of this Scriptural incident and pondering just what spiritually inspired message I needed to gain from it. While the man was obeying the commandments, was he at the same time inwardly putting his trust in material things and believing that he, all by himself, had accumulated great treasures, in spite of who knows what kinds of obstacles? Could we think of Jesus' instruction to him not simply as a literal request to sell his material things but as a demand to renounce and forsake certain mental possessions, whatever beliefs of evil he may have been holding on to as a part of himself and as a part of his life—including reliance on worldly riches?

Enjoy 1 free Sentinel article or audio program each month, including content from 1898 to today.

Send a comment to the editors
NEXT IN THIS ISSUE
Article
The little dancer
October 10, 1994
Contents

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit