As I was putting away supplies after Sunday School class before the worship service began, I saw a little girl frantically run by the door. She was on her way to the bathroom. Not having quite mastered all the skills of potty training, she was doing her best to take down her overalls in order to make it on time. I asked if I could help her. Because I knew her well, had cared for her and brother often, she accepted my help. She almost made it. I was encouraging her but she sadly said, “I’ll never be good at this and I’ll never be a big gurl.” Toddlers try so hard to do good and be good.
Sometimes we adults act like toddlers when we think that doing all the right things, attending many church meetings, volunteering for everything, and going to church every time the doors are opened is the way to be considered “good” and will earn us a place in God’s Kingdom. However, it is not. Wait, what?!
Mark 10, The Message
To Enter God’s Kingdom
17 As he went out into the street, a man came running up, greeted him with great reverence, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to get eternal life?”
18-19 Jesus said, “Why are you calling me good? No one is good, only God. You know the commandments: Don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t lie, don’t cheat, honor your father and mother.”
20 He said, “Teacher, I have—from my youth—kept them all!”
21 Jesus looked him hard in the eye—and loved him! He said, “There’s one thing left: Go sell whatever you own and give it to the poor. All your wealth will then be heavenly wealth. And come follow me.”
22 The man’s face clouded over. This was the last thing he expected to hear, and he walked off with a heavy heart. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and not about to let go.
23-25 Looking at his disciples, Jesus said, “Do you have any idea how difficult it is for people who ‘have it all’ to enter God’s kingdom?” The disciples couldn’t believe what they were hearing, but Jesus kept on: “You can’t imagine how difficult. I’d say it’s easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for the rich to get into God’s kingdom.”
26 That got their attention. “Then who has any chance at all?” they asked.
27 Jesus was blunt: “No chance at all if you think you can pull it off by yourself. Every chance in the world if you let God do it.”
28 Peter tried another angle: “We left everything and followed you.”
29-31 Jesus said, “Mark my words, no one who sacrifices house, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, land—whatever—because of me and the Message will lose out. They’ll get it all back, but multiplied many times in homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and land—but also in troubles. And then the bonus of eternal life! This is once again the Great Reversal: Many who are first will end up last, and the last first.”
32-34 Back on the road, they set out for Jerusalem. Jesus had a head start on them, and they were following, puzzled and not just a little afraid. He took the Twelve and began again to go over what to expect next. “Listen to me carefully. We’re on our way up to Jerusalem. When we get there, the Son of Man will be betrayed to the religious leaders and scholars. They will sentence him to death. Then they will hand him over to the Romans, who will mock and spit on him, give him the third degree, and kill him. After three days he will rise alive.”
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
Working hard in an effort to earn our way into God’s Kingdom, on our terms, breeds boasting and arrogance within us and feeds our egos. This is not of God. Earning “points for goodness” is not how God works. Blessed are those who know this! Blessed are those who know they need God, the only One who is truly Good. There is nothing we can do to be good enough compared to the goodness of God. It is in the being with God who makes us holy unto Him.
God looks at the heart as our true measure of devotion to Him.
Is Jesus telling us that all the things we do will never be good enough? Absolutely not. He is warning us that focusing exclusively on doing good things can get in the way of what God wants to be and can stand in the way and actually block our view of God! We who are told excessively and consistently from infant to adult to “be good” and “do your best” progresses at times to “be the best—better than all the others.” It is then that we digress to being good as if our goodness was the goal. It is not. A heart fully committed to God, believing in His Son, trusting in His plan and obeying what He says is the goal. God is good. Follow what He says because He is good.
“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” 1 Samuel 15:22
We followers can get so easily wrapped up in the busyness of doing good that we become no good to anyone. We begin to tire easily when just “doing good for goodness’s sake” becomes our mantra and habit. This way of life leads to pride, especially when we are doing good craving for the attention, applause, and recognition. I’m pretty sure that’s what the rich man who followed all the commandments to the letter thought he was going to hear from Jesus— “what a good man you are”! But that’s not want he heard! Jesus knew what was standing between the young man and God—his wealth.
BELIEVE, BE STILL BEFORE GOD, THEN DO—IN THAT ORDER
James says, “What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.” James 2:14-17, NLT
In other words, our faith in God leads the actions of our belief in God! It’s all about God! Our love and devotion to God leads us to do what God asks…be of good service in Jesus Name for His Glory!
Lord,
Don’t let us become so busy doing that we forget being with you. As one who makes lists to accomplish, I pray that your agenda, your will be done, in every detail of my life every day.
In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen!
Daily Manna (Coffee with Jesus) 