Scripture: Matthew 19:16–26; 19:27–20:16
If he that had loved God, and his neighbor, and kept the commandments from his youth, was excluded from being a disciple because he sold not all and followed Jesus; with what confidence can you call yourselves Christians, who have neither kept the commandments, nor yet forsaken anything to be so? And if it was a bar betwixt him and the eternal life he sought; that notwithstanding all his other virtues, love to money, and his external possessions could not be parted with; what shall be your end, who cannot deny yourselves many less things, but are daily inventing vanities to your fleshly appetites? —William Penn
Questions: What challenges you about Jesus’ instruction to the rich young man to sell everything he has? What could your faith community do to make it more possible for people to mature in their faith in the direction of releasing their possessions? In what ways (if any) do these ideas make you nervous or concerned? This parable makes a distinction between justice and grace (here depicted as abundant generosity), where justice is a baseline and God’s grace extends even beyond what is just. How do you feel about this?
“Jesus said to him, ‘If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ When the young man heard this word, he went away grieving, for he had many possessions” (Matthew 19:21–22).
Simplicity is one of our Quaker testimonies. My meeting often sings the words:
Clear the chaos and the clutter
Clear our eyes that we can see
All the things that really matter
Be at peace and simply be.
Simplicity helps us see the things that matter—and the people that matter.
Simplicity can guide us to use what we have for the sake of others. John Woolman, a Quaker writer and abolitionist, encourages his peers to make it the business of their lives “to turn all the treasures we possess into the channel of universal love.” In this case, wealth is not necessarily an enemy to love, but a potential tool of love. Simplicity invites gratitude, that we would look on what we have as a gift, no matter how hard we worked to get it. Simplicity invites generosity, as we share what we have.
But simplicity can also guide us to give up our goods. Woolman writes: “May we look upon our treasure, the furniture of our houses, and our garments, and try to discover whether the seeds of war have nourishment in these our possessions.” In this case, simplicity calls us to better understand how our spending and consumption impact others. Simplicity helps us see, even when it is more comfortable to look away.
When Jesus speaks of the kingdom of God, I think he is essentially saying, “Imagine a world where people are guided by God’s love; then live as a citizen of that world.” Some people would find it very hard to live in such a world—especially the wealthy.
I am not convinced Jesus would ask each of us to sell all our possessions. I do suspect, however, that this was what this man needed to hear. Jesus discerns that this is the next step for him: to not remain as he is but to change, to do something costly. I think Jesus knows that if we are to follow, we must be free to see and serve in a way that we are, at the moment, not able. Jesus encourages this man to get rid of it all for the sake of community.
–Matt Boswell in “Friendly Perspective” from Matthew: The Life of Jesus