“Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” This was the question posed to Jesus by a young man with many possessions and it continues to be a very relevant one for us today. What must we do to inherit eternal life? A critical clue can be gleaned from Jesus’ response: “Go, sell what you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” Amidst everything else that’s going on in this passage, it’s crucial to recognize that what Jesus is really doing here is inviting this young man to free himself up for total relationship with God.
It’s easy to get caught up in questions surrounding wealth and other material goods. How much is enough? How much is too much? How do we know? The real questions that get to the heart of the matter are far less about our possessions in and of themselves and more about the ways that they possess us. For instance, do our possessions distract us or keep us from spending time with Jesus in daily life? How do we generously use the resources that God has put at our disposal for the good of others? Above all, how free are we to respond to the invitation that Jesus extends to us personally each and every single day?