Matthew chapter 19 verses 17-18 (NIV)
“Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
“Which ones?” he inquired.
The rich young ruler who asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life appears to have been genuine in his enquiry, unlike many of the scribes and Pharisees when they questioned Him.
Jesus answered his question very simply, yet the young man still wanted Jesus to quantify what He meant. Was it to see if he could justify his lifestyle. Jesus told the young man to keep the commandments. All of them. Not to pick and choose, yet the young man asked, “which ones?”
When Jesus tells us to do something, He expects us to do it wholeheartedly and not just the bits that suit us and the way that we live. This was the cause of King Saul’s downfall. In God’s eyes it’s all or nothing, so let’s not try to go God’s way and do our own thing at the same time. It doesn’t work that way. The young man went away disappointed and missed out on so much. Let’s not miss out on what God has for us.
Dear Lord,
Help me always to remember that to obey is better than sacrifice, and to harken rather than the fat of lambs. I ask in Jesus’ Name. Amen.