The Road Devotional | Lent 2024

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: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall 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 very wealthy. 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 someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

The conversation here has moved from being about babies to being about a ruler. These couldn't be more opposite. One having no power or social standing, the other bringing power, status, and wealth to the table. This ruler wanted to know what it would cost him to be able to have the kind of life he would have heard Jesus preach about. He tried to list how well he adhered to the commandments, probably expecting that Jesus would have said that was enough to earn his spot.

Q. Reflect on the moral checklist in your own life. In what ways do you rely on your own achievements for spiritual standing?

Here, we see the rich young ruler, who has been obedient to the law and has everything, told that he still lacks something: faith that God will take care of him. Instead, his faith is in his wealth. We are then given the "eye of the needle" phrase that is often quoted.

Q. What is it about wealth that Jesus warns us about? Is it that we begin to put our faith and trust in it instead of God?

God, Help us to honestly examine our priorities and the attachments that may hinder our full commitment to You. Grant us the courage to surrender all, trusting in Your promise of eternal life. May the challenges of discipleship not be a stumbling block, but an opportunity for growth and transformation.

Amen.