I have read some books by well-meaning believers that leave me feeling terrible. I welcome the Holy Spirit's conviction (most of the time ☺) but the conviction of other people with an agenda just leaves me with a bad case of "yuck." According to certain segments of our population I am guilty for most of the evils in our modern world. I live in a "development," drive an SUV, mow my lawn and I even have a chainsaw. I am a white, middle-class, American male...oh, and I own a few guns. How much more guilty could a guy get? Virtually everything from slavery to global warming is my fault. Maybe I should just sell everything and give it all to the poor. That's what Jesus said right? If I take Him seriously, I should just sell the house, the Jeeps and all our stuff, give the money away and go live under a bridge. The world would be a far better place if I just did that and Jesus would be happy...OR WOULD HE? Is that really what He said? It might shock some people to know that Jesus was supported by people who loved Him and had money. It might ruin a few books if we understood who Jesus was actually talking to and what He actually said. For example, in our text for Sunday, the rich young ruler was not a disciple. Jesus never told him that the requirement to follow Him was selling everything. The rich young ruler was arrogant. Jesus wasn't telling him how to be saved He was pointing out that he needed to be saved. Jesus wanted the rich young ruler to understand that his self-righteousness and wealth were not enough to gain entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven. When you are counting on self-effort to get right with God, that news can be quite a blow to the ego! The young man had been extolling his own virtues and Jesus simply said, "If you want to go all the way with this perfection business, then sell everything and give it to the poor." Jesus was pointing out the man's idolatry not giving a universal call to asceticism to all followers of Jesus. One book I recently read that blessed me deeply is called "Ordinary." In it Michael Horton writes, "...phrases like "living the gospel," "being the gospel," and "being partners with Jesus in His redemption of the world," are dangerous distortions of the biblical message of good news. The gospel is not about what we have done or are called to do, but the announcement of God's saving work in Jesus Christ." That's what the rich young ruler needed! Nobody gains standing with God by selling everything. We are justified through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. If gratitude for that marvelous provision of eternal life moves you to simplicity of living, generosity with your time and money and a loose grip on all things temporal, you will be happier because your treasure will be in heaven. You will find it easier to die because everything you really want has been sent on ahead. You will think less about thieves, rust and moths and more about the souls all around you. The thing is, you might even figure how to use what you have to make more money to bless more people for more eternal benefit. So, maybe you better not sell everything just yet. It's been a cold Spring ☺.