(KJV Matthew 19:16-22)
“And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, “Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself”. The young man saith unto him, “All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? ” Jesus said unto him, “If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.” But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.”
Additional Scripture : 1 Corinthians 4: 1 – 7
Scripture Emphases, The young man saith unto him, “All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?” (Matthew 19:20)( KJV)
1 Corinthians 4:7 “For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it”? (KJV)
Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians deals with problems of the Christian faith and the long-standing behaviours affecting the church Paul had established in Corinth. Consequently, he urges the adherents to take an inventory of their life’s possessions in light of their newfound faith. Paul’s suggestion that Christians undertake a list of their possessions reflects the challenge that Jesus suggests to a Rich Young Ruler who inquires of Him, “What lack I yet? to enter into this NEW life? But a subsequent dilemma arises from the inquiry that Paul proposes; “What does one include in that list that will satisfy Paul’s question, “What do you have that you have not received?” Is there anything any mortal can label theirs? What memorial will stand to identify you as the sole Creator of anything? Will the world’s fabric show evidence of your genius, resulting in a world distinctively more beautiful than that which you inherited? What, bearing the signature of your ownership, do you bring daily to the experience you call living?
While it remains true that the product of an ingenious mind may bear some reference to an individual’s name, the works enlightening wisdom and its creative source are not the individual’s whose name is associated with it.
Paul’s challenge to the Corinthians drips like molten lead on a naked brain. What do you possess that you have not received”? “Though I speak with the tongue of men and angels and have not LOVE, I become as sounding brass or tinkling cymbal.”
(1 Corinthians 13:1) I am after all, merely the vessel, the container.
But, the suggestion of dependency upon some source other than self is anathema to many. It is unthinkable for some to consider themselves the recipient of anything from outside themselves.
As suggested, the Rich Young Ruler’s answer to Jesus’ council concerning his quest to enter into the fuller life mirrors Paul’s concern for the Corinthians.” All the good things required of me to enter into this life,” the rich young ruler replies confidently to Jesus, “I have kept from my youth up. What lack I yet?” What more extraordinary things can I accomplish in addition to those I have already achieved?” He asks in doubting wonder.
On the other hand, the infant Christian faith emerging in the Corinthian community appears far more rewarding than the the treatment that those advocating a deeper dependency upon God are receiving. “We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.”
( 1 Corinthians 4:10)
But, can there not exist a suitable mixture of a small portion of “faith in God” and a healthier dose of personal ingenuity and skill? “All the good things required to enter into this life fully,” the rich young ruler replied to Jesus, “I have kept from my youth up. What lack I yet?” Coyly, Paul’s primary question to the Corinthians;’ What do you have that you have not received?” remains unanswered by the Corinthians, the young advocate standing before Jesus, and by extension, by us. If I must deduct from inventory all that indicates some other creator, what is left that is mine?
In truth, what is lacking in all instances is the cultivation of a healthy mindedness which puts the body in proper subordination to the Spirit. To Realize that all things you treasure, even most likely those qualities that identify you from your fellow humans, are never your own to make your boast. In truth, they are entrusted to you by the hand of your Creator. And this discovery is the gateway to more abundant living.
We bear the image of God. From God, we come, and to God we at last return! Our being here is by God’s plan and purpose to fulfill His mission. We are not creatures of instinct like certain other species. Within each of us humans, God’s work is never final. We remain forever in His workshop, constantly receiving His guidance and the necessary equipment to complete our appointed mission.
Paul, empowered by the living Spirit of the Risen Christ, yearns unceasingly for the Corinthian Christians to realize, as he, himself came to know, the unspeakable gift of manifesting the power of this new way of living as God wills it.
St. Paul knew that his new Church in Corinth needed something more than their traditional version of the truth professed. And, still, reaching the doors of the modern church, the haunting question echoes, ” What is lacking Still?” In this very hour, the evidence is clear that something is lacking in current efforts to fulfill our mission for the glory of God.
What is required is a fresh understanding of a supernatural intervention of God’s power to do what our shrunken faith timidly disallows us. God withholds nothing from those who faithfully work in the Spirit of Jesus Christ to bring His Kingdom of love and unity on earth.
PRAYER TO FOLLOW THIS MEDITATION
Father, I praise You that Your love for me sends my mini-sized faith leaping over fences, and all kinds of barriers to explore and discover new experiences which I had never dreamed possible.
“When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.” 1 Corinthians 13:11,
I am deeply sorry, Father, that I imprisoned You behind cold prison walls of half-beliefs and restraining human expectations. In time, I came to think the word supernatural belonged to spooky things like “ghosties and goblins, and long-legged beasties and things that go ‘bump’ in the night.” (2)’. Thank You, Lord, for rescuing me and making me a man whose belief in supernatural realities brings me face to face with You. Now I know that the door to Your eternal Presence is never closed to me. And it is this fact alone that equips me to continue as Christ’s ambassador for Your glory. In mercy, Father, May the love of God, the Grace and the Truth of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Fellowship and Communion of the Holy Spirit be upon us all evermore.
Amen.
Hymn: Go To The World
https://youtu.be/fmQDeSWdFrQ
Editorial Notes
1. Scripture quotations are from the King James Version
of Scriptures.
2. https://allpoetry.com › poem › 2234822-Ghosties-and-Ghoulies-by-Broad-and-Fair