Asking the Wrong Questions

Scripture: Just then someone came up and asked him, “Teacher, what good must I do to have eternal life?” Matthew 19:16

Observation: The story known as "the rich young ruler" begins with this question. Jesus will go on to list some commandments, then tell the man that he needs to sell all his possessions and follow Jesus. He then explains to the disciples that it is basically impossible for rich people to get into heaven, yet even the impossible is possible with God. It seems like a strange exchange, with many interpretations, however the strangeness and confusion is caused because of this first sentence ... the man asks the wrong question.

The rich man asks a question of personal action. He doesn't want to learn how eternal life is possible, or how God's blessings work, or about the machinations of destiny within the context of God's love. Instead, he asks for a procedure. He wants to know the steps and actions he must 'do' to procure God's rewards. From that perspective, it becomes clear that any number of steps Jesus gives him will ultimately result in a dead-end because it is impossible to follow a procedure to procure God's rewards.

For the rich and greedy, that dead-end may involve giving up wealth and comfort. For the proud, the dead-end may involve humility and demotion. For the righteous, the dead-end may involve service to sinners. Every single person will hit some point where the next action required of them is beyond their ability to do, they will fail, and their entry into heaven is therefore impossible. And thus, the only way into heaven is by the grace of God, the method by which all things are possible.

Application: I know I cannot self-actualize my way into heaven and eternal life. I am more and more failing to just move myself into 'daily good'. And it bothers me. I feel like I should be able to ... do something ... to move myself into a position of at least better. Perhaps that is the point of the commandments, and like the rich man I could at least strive to obey those.

I know I can never do everything it takes to enter heaven. I cannot be perfect for sure. However, I can strive to be more obedient, skip the part I can't do, and jump to the part where I follow Jesus, believing in him as my Lord and savior, with full faith in the mercy and grace of the Lord.

Prayer: Lord, again today I say I will strive to be more obedient toward your commands and precepts. I know there are flaws within me that will forever make me fail in the quest for 'good', and so I do not look for a process to do that. Instead, I follow Jesus. Amen.