Luke 18: 18-30

 Luke 18: 18-30

Nomads don't have a lot of stuff. Imagine a person with pack rat tendencies a person who, having lived in the same house for many years, has filled every nook and cranny and corner with stuff. Everywhere you look they have collections of their life, “a salt and pepper shaker collection”, commemorative plate collection, a framed photograph of every relative they have ever met, every book or magazine they have ever purchased, overstuffed furniture overstuffed in every room. Outside they have hundreds of planters each with a carefully tended plant, yard gnomes and garden decorations. Such a person is anchored and the likelihood of their moving is in inverse proportion to their disposition to hang on to all their stuff. “I can't let it go” is the same as “I can't move”.

The same is true spiritually. As a disciple of Jesus we face that moment in which we must say “I want Jesus more than my idols”. To hold on to my idol is to say “I won’t go with Jesus”. This young man’s the idol was his wealthy comfortable life. He would likely have been willing to make a generous donation to “Jesus Ministries Inc.”. But Jesus wasn't interested in his money; Jesus wanted to destroy his idols. We cannot conclude that every disciple must become a traveling itinerant preacher. Jesus once told a man that his discipleship called him to stay home and tell his family and friends what God had done rather than to follow Jesus. Jesus doesn't say to everyone “Sell all and hit the road preaching”. He does say to all of us: “Get rid of all that would be a rival to Me for first place in your life”.

We must ask ourselves: What is most important to me? What would cause the greatest crisis of heart if I had to leave it? That is most likely our idol. The good things God gives us are to be seen as messengers of His love and kindness. They are to be a means of directing our love and thanks back to Him. In such a context these good things are not idols, they are graces. If the love of a spouse, family and the enjoyment of home and land are means by which we glorify God, we can know they are sacramental means of worshiping God and not the object of our affection.  Then we are to be received and enjoy these things. But we must beware lest while we are saying we worship God in and because of these things we are in fact making them our gods. The challenge is to examine our heart and seek the Holy Spirit's conviction about our affection and loyalties.  When we find that an idol has become a rival to God then we walk away from it.  We are like a nomad refusing to carry what would hold him back.

“Lord, thank You for all the good you give me.  Never let Your gifts become Your rival in my heart. AMEN