Devotional for the week of October 14

Devotional for the week of October 14th

The man who approaches Jesus in today’s gospel had followed all God’s laws since his youth. He had done all that was expected of him. But he wondered: What else did he need to do to inherit eternal life?

Jesus’s answer almost seems like a cruel joke. All the young man had to do was sell his possessions, give the money away, leave his home—meaning his family and his very way of life—and follow Jesus. It’s enough to make one wonder if the young man walked away feeling hopeless. He had already done everything he was supposed to do—what more could Jesus possibly expect from him?

Peter argues that the disciples have already done what Jesus has just told the man to do. The disciples have left their belongings, their livelihoods, and their families to follow Jesus. What more could Jesus possibly want from them?

As God’s beloveds, we give our time, our talents, and our treasures to the church, so what more could Jesus possibly want from us? Are we lacking? The man’s possessions prevented him from following Christ. He lacked the willingness to put God ahead of everything else in his life. What Jesus wants, more than anything else, is for us to put service to God ahead of everything else in our lives. To love God with all our hearts, minds, bodies, and souls.

This may not sound like good news. It may sound impossible. But our God does not leave us hopeless and despairing in our lack—our lack of faith, our lack of action, our lack of love for others. Jesus tells the disciples and us, “For God all things are possible” (Mark 10:27). God already loves us. We have already inherited eternal life. There’s no joke here, only God’s boundless grace.

Not Impossible

Devotional for the week of October 14th