Quote:
Originally Posted by Ohio
You are surmising that the rich young ruler made material wealth his idol. Jeus never said that. Compare that to people today. I seriously doubt that idolatry in this world has shrunk since Jesus first walked the earth. Are you trying to say that Jesus' command to "sell all" only applies to this one person? If that is true, then please tell me how many other verses only apply to the audience spoken to, and not to me?
I don't understand how you can say that Jesus never placed this burden on us. Even those hearing what Jesus said commented, "who then can be saved."
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This is a good discussion to have.
Jesus is concerned about our heart. He couldn't have that rich ruler follow him and still think about his possessions all the time. He would have backslidden eventually when Jesus went to the cross and it would be better for him to just enjoy his wealth. Jesus tells us to count the cost before we decide to follow him. We have to be willing to let go of everything when push comes to shove.
Also God desires obedience and not sacrifice. Ananias and Sapphira gave most of everything away but still got smited by God when they lied to the Holy Spirit. There were plenty of folks who didn't sell everything in the early church and did fine because they didn't lie. Practicing Lying is breaking the commandment, not giving away all your wealth isn't. Yet if we see a brother in need and do not give him anything when we have lots of stuff, we need to check our heart.