DAY 34
Pastor Rebecca Shatswell
Scripture
As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’”
“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?” - Mark 10:17-26
Today we follow the story of Jesus calling a rich young ruler to be his disciple. Sadly, this young man, who declared that he had kept all the laws, could not do one thing: let go of his possessions.
His stuff—which would eventually rust, tear up, and break down—is what stood in the way of him being a fully devoted follower of Jesus. We will never know his name because of the choice he made that day.
Question: Is there one thing that is standing in the way of you truly following Jesus? Will you be known as one who follows Jesus wholeheartedly, or will you risk becoming unknown because you couldn’t let go?
Family Chat: Do you have more thoughts thinking about what others think of you or what Jesus thinks of you? He has lots of things that he says about you in the bible. Find a verse and talk about it as a family that talks about who you are in Christ.
Take Action: Let go of that one thing—whatever it takes to follow Jesus wholeheartedly!
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