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orthodoxymoron · 04-02-2010, 08:29 AM

A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, 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: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'"

"All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said.

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, 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."

Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?"

Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God." Peter said to him "We have left all we had to follow you!"

"I tell you the truth," Jesus said to them, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life." Luke 18:18-30 NIV

Jesus, in a very real sense, was a rich young ruler, who had laid aside His royalty, and had become one of the peasants! Jesus wasn’t asking this young man to do anything that He Himself had not already done!

My favorite painting is The Blue Boy by Thomas Gainsborough. It is located at the Huntington Library and Art Gallery in San Marino, California. When I was six years old, I stood transfixed before this painting for at least 20 minutes. My mother was amazed! Now, when I look at “The Blue Boy” I imagine that this is what Jesus may have looked like when He dropped out of sight at the age of twelve! Was Jesus royalty between His twelfth and thirtieth birthdays? I always think of Jesus as both a royal and a commoner! This painting depicts a rich young ruler! It depicts royalty! Jesus was more than some brash young man who stumbled into the limelight, and who was disrespectful to the powers that be…and got Himself murdered! A lot more!

Reading between the lines here, I believe the point is to not neglect the poor, and to be completely in harmony with the character of Jesus Christ! One can technically observe all of the rules and regulations, yet not genuinely care about, and care for, the poor and suffering. And also not make Christ and His teachings, first and foremost. The proud observance of the rules can actually result in a downright devilish attitude!

Jesus calls us to responsible psychology, ethics, and spirituality. He wishes us to do whatever it takes to get to this level of character development! Participating in the kingdom of God does not require perfection…but it does require a high, though readily attainable, standard of living. This is accomplished through perspiration and inspiration! We cooperate with God, and work our tails off! It involves more than simply uttering the right words to God, or by being declared righteous by a member of the clergy!

04-02-2010, 08:29 AM	#12
orthodoxymoron Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Lunar Base II Posts: 3,093	Re: Red Letter Church A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, 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: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'" "All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said. When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, 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." Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?" Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God." Peter said to him "We have left all we had to follow you!" "I tell you the truth," Jesus said to them, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life." Luke 18:18-30 NIV Jesus, in a very real sense, was a rich young ruler, who had laid aside His royalty, and had become one of the peasants! Jesus wasn’t asking this young man to do anything that He Himself had not already done! My favorite painting is The Blue Boy by Thomas Gainsborough. It is located at the Huntington Library and Art Gallery in San Marino, California. When I was six years old, I stood transfixed before this painting for at least 20 minutes. My mother was amazed! Now, when I look at “The Blue Boy” I imagine that this is what Jesus may have looked like when He dropped out of sight at the age of twelve! Was Jesus royalty between His twelfth and thirtieth birthdays? I always think of Jesus as both a royal and a commoner! This painting depicts a rich young ruler! It depicts royalty! Jesus was more than some brash young man who stumbled into the limelight, and who was disrespectful to the powers that be…and got Himself murdered! A lot more! Reading between the lines here, I believe the point is to not neglect the poor, and to be completely in harmony with the character of Jesus Christ! One can technically observe all of the rules and regulations, yet not genuinely care about, and care for, the poor and suffering. And also not make Christ and His teachings, first and foremost. The proud observance of the rules can actually result in a downright devilish attitude! Jesus calls us to responsible psychology, ethics, and spirituality. He wishes us to do whatever it takes to get to this level of character development! Participating in the kingdom of God does not require perfection…but it does require a high, though readily attainable, standard of living. This is accomplished through perspiration and inspiration! We cooperate with God, and work our tails off! It involves more than simply uttering the right words to God, or by being declared righteous by a member of the clergy!