What Must I Do, He Asked

Familiar story

We think we know it,

know what it means.

Let’s look again.

Analysis

A man approaches; asks a question.

Jesus might have thought it was a trap set by Jerusalem authorities.

The man might have just been looking for a bit of wisdom or a saying from the guru.

Jesus answers

First a question; to defuse any attempt to trap him.

Then the answer the man likely was looking for;

something easy to do or to ignore.

“I’ve always done these things.” he says.

Just like most of the people who were following Jesus.

Then comes the true answer; the call to be a genuine disciple.

Punch Line

There’s one more thing—Sell what you have—Give to the poor.

This was too much for the man.

Maybe Jesus realised that an attachment to money was the thing that held him back.

Maybe he wanted to change how people thought about blessing.

Either way Jesus invites him to go far beyond what he asked for, (ie, something simple he could do to acquire eternal life.)

Jesus asks him to transcend the widely held belief of the time:

That wealth was a clear sign of God’s blessing and poverty, a sure sign of his displeasure.

That one could achieve salvation by one’s own actions;

to obey the commandments and

to perform the rituals specified.

That is, no genuine engagement or commitment required.

Jesus has other ideas

Sell what you have

Give to the poor

Take up your cross, then come and follow me.

In other words, strip off anything that keeps you from total

commitment to me, to the Gospel

and rely entirely on God’s grace, for salvation

and for every necessity.*

The rich man walked away, sad. For him, what Jesus asked was impossible.

The Apostles also thought it was impossible. To them Jesus said:

“For man it is impossible but with God, all things are possible.”

That’s the challenge Jesus put to the man in this story; but not only to him.

Every story, every parable is told to us, each of us; for our benefit; for us to decide.

This interpretation doesn’t relieve us of

the need to give to the poor from our substance.

What it may do, though, is to provide

a more joyful motivation for it.