28 September 2008
What lack I yet? (Part I)
Posted by admin1 under: Sermons .
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. 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” (St. Matthew 19: 17;20-21).
This young man in this verse came to Jesus seeking salvation. Salvation is a good thing to seek and desire. David says “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after” Psalms 27:4. There is no point in desiring something if you are not willing to do whatever it takes to get it. The desire for this young man led him to take extra steps to look where he would find salvation. He recognized that there is need to save his soul. Even though he had this world’s riches, he recognized that “we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out” (I Timothy 6:7). The young man understood that there is no profit in gaining this world, but loosing his own soul (St. Mark 8: 35). He sincerely asked, what he needed to do to gain eternal life.
He recognized and identified his lack even though he was keeping the commandments. Jesus told him about the first part of the commandment, that is to love the Lord (St. Matthew 22:37, Deuternomy 6:5). When this young rich man came, Jesus did not say anything new to him. He told him about the same commandments he was already doing. The same commandments God spoke on Mt. Sinai. The same commandments which Jesus says, if you love me keep my commandments (St. John 14:15). Jesus referred him to those same commandments. The young man when learning that he needed to do the same commandments, saw himself as having attained because he was already observing the commandments. He saw himself as complete, hence asked: “all these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?” (St. Matthew 19:20).
He did not see the need for change. But when we come to Jesus, he will reveal himself to us. We will see that “we come short of the glory of the Lord” (Romans3:23). Jesus will open our spiritual eyes. This young man like many of us, meeting Jesus did not change him, he still saw himself as being perfect, and complete. He did not ask “what lack I yet?”, because he thought he was lacking anything. Rather he was expecting compliments and validation, the same way that he complimented Jesus in the beginning of the conversation, telling him that he was the good master.
It is not that Jesus did not know that this young man kept the commandments. But Jesus was giving him room to deeply reflect on himself and to examine himself. We can look at ourselves, and see that we do not lack anything, and ask in like manner, “what lack I yet?” not seeking to fix and make ourselves fit for the kingdom of God. The word, when received with meekness will cleanse us from all unrighteousness, and will reveal to us, our lack and our imperfect ways. But we have to see that we are not complete, we are not perfect to enter into life. James says “but be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was” (James 1:22-24).
The young man heard what he lacked, and was told his imperfect ways. He quickly forgot what manner of man he was. He quickly forgot that he wanted to gain eternal life and be saved. He did not see the need to change anything. The commandments are a mirror of how we look before God. When we see our own reflection, we can fix it before somebody else comes and tell us that we do not look good. But the young man did not see himself as being imperfect. As a result he did not see the need to change anything. He wanted the Lord to take him as he is. There is nothing wrong with coming to the Lord as we are, but we should not stay the same way we arrived. This young man wanted to stay the same way when he met the Lord. He did not want to loose or sacrifice anything for the kingdom.
He did not ask “What lack I yet?” to seek where he was lacking. We will continue this topic in Part II so that in seeking the answer what we lack to be fit for the kingdom, we should also ask the Lord to search our hearts. “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalms 139: 23-24).
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3 Comments so far...
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