The Hard Lessons pt. 2

So we just read about how Jesus let a lot of disciples quit (The Hard lessons pt.1). He just let them go. Things got hard, and they just chose to walk away from eternity because of a hard lesson. Woah.

This leads me to my next thought.

In Matthew 19:24 Jesus said to his disciples "Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." This is a lesson he was trying to teach the disciples after an encounter with a rich young man who desired eternal life (to know Jesus). He was asking what he had to do to get eternal life. Jesus told him that even after he honored all the commandments that he was still lacking something. Sell your possessions. Give up the one thing in your life you trust in the most. The most comforting thing you have, the thing you have that you feel valued by. Go, give it up.

vs 22 "When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth."

Jesus just let this kid walk away from him sad.

Doesn't that go against everything you feel like you know about Jesus? Doesn't He go after that 1 lost sheep? Doesn't He love everyone?

Stop the presses. Jesus didn't chase that kid down. He didn't run to him, or put His arm around him and comfort him, saying "maybe you'll feel like giving up that idol one day, just come along." No. Jesus immediately goes and teaches us a hard lesson, and let the kid leave, sad.

Being a Christian and following God means you surrender it ALL. We cannot love God with all our hearts and yet keep our ______ to ourselves. (name your vice).

Jesus teaches us hard lessons because God is Holy. Because he LOVES us and wants to be with us for eternity (not just feel happy on earth).  If we want to be with Him for all eternity, we must be willing to give up everything to gain EVERYTHING. Capital, EVERYTHING meaning His eternal love, His presence and the benefits of the Creator of the Universe! And the sobering truth is, not everyone will finish the race.

There are many people out there today that will try to make those hard lessons easier, try to make that eye of the needle bigger, so people don't feel rejected or sad. Jesus doesn't need our help. He drew that line in the sand. He loves with a perfect and holy love, and we must love others that way too... but we must Know Jesus, and learn these hard lessons so we can live like Him and with Him for eternity.