Appointments and Disappointment

(Matthew 19: 16-30)

Interacting with the homeless, you get both appointments and disappointments. I have been prompted to speak to individuals who seem interested, but in the end are not.  They have other priorities and are not ready to either think seriously about Jesus or deal with their often dire situations. I had one such incident this week in London, and recently also lost contact with someone who Lizzie and I have sought to help for well over four years. Of course, we pray that seeds sown will germinate and grow in their lives at the right time. In the meantime, there is another appointment waiting down the road… there always is!

A man approached Jesus and asked him a question that suggested he was interested in Jesus. However, right from the outset, it was obvious the man had misunderstood Jesus. He was thinking that if he simply did a stack of good things (tick-box style!) then he would qualify for eternal life.

Typically, Jesus answered a question with a question and highlighted the man’s use of the word ‘good’. Then Jesus challenged him to keep the commandments. Had the man, or anyone else, theoretically been able to truly keep the commandments to the full then he would be sinless and yes, qualify for heaven. Of course, only Jesus was and is sinless!

The man then asked: ‘Which ones?’ and Jesus told him. It is a selective list. Perhaps Jesus was trying to elicit a certain response to issue a challenge to the man’s thinking. The man quickly said he had kept all the commandments Jesus mentioned. Rightly the man asked: ‘What do I still lack?’ He knew he was not justified, made right with God, simply by keeping the commandments, even though his claim to have done that was so obviously false.

Then Jesus delivered his punchline! He knew the man’s heart. He challenged him to sell all his possessions and give the proceeds to the poor. By doing so the man would have treasure in heaven. Do that and come follow me, said Jesus.

Then we find out what was really going on. This man was an upright citizen and probably genuinely well-thought of as law-abiding and living a decent life, but Jesus knew that in his heart, it was his wealth that held sway. It was his love of money that stopped him ‘seeing’ who Jesus really was and what it meant to follow him.

We are told the young man went away sad because he was not willing to give up his wealth to follow Jesus. But surely Jesus was sad too! He had held out an opportunity, a challenge, to this young man, yet he watched him walk away. Can you imagine how Jesus felt?

The teaching that follows speaks to us today. Even in a so-called cost of living crisis, we are amongst the most wealthy people on earth. Too many around us rely on money and possessions for so-called security, well-being and ‘happiness’. It is not wrong to be rich but have you noticed how those who have little are often more generous, comparatively speaking?

Not for the first time, a while ago I was offered home cooked food from a CAP client who has little money and an impossible budget. She wanted to show her appreciation for the little help I have been able to give so far, and so gave me some of her freshly prepared food, even though she struggles to put food on the table for her family and often has to visit the local foodbank. The fact that she is culturally a Muslim and had just started Ramadan added a further twist to the tale! I have had the privilege of praying with her and her husband and mentioning the name of Jesus freely… watch this space!

Jesus goes on to give the memorable and puzzling illustration of what it takes for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Jesus was fond of hyperbole! The disciples are shocked. They, like the young man, had much to learn. The passage concludes with Jesus’ challenging teaching about what the true cost of following him really is.

So how do we feel about this passage? No doubt we have all had the experience of seeking to share about Jesus with someone, only to see them walk away for one reason or another. Many seem to hear and sometimes even start to respond, only to ‘wander off’ or reject the gospel after all. It can be heart-breaking to see that. Yet we should never stop seeking opportunity and new ‘appointments’ to share Jesus. Our role may simply be to ‘break the ground’. Later someone else, or several, may ‘pick up’ on that person, still with that seed buried somewhere and just waiting for the right moment. We should never stop praying even for those who seem ‘hardened’ to the gospel.

We might also consider our attitude to the things we have and what we have in the bank. If I am honest, I am always challenged when I hear stories of God calling people to make seemingly ‘illogical and ridiculous sacrifices’ in giving, only to see God bless them amazingly as a result! I heard one such story the other day!

The message this week is twofold:

Keep looking for God-given appointments. Remember disappointment is part of the cost of reaching out, but keep praying anyway, even when there seems to be only rejection.

Have a lighter hold on money and possessions so Jesus can use us to sow into people’s lives as He directs.