Letting Go to Follow Jesus

By Dean Collins

Some things never seem to change. Though we know better, we still tend to think that wealth, title, and status are the things that suggest that we are blessed by God. Unfortunately, there are many who preach a prosperity gospel that suggests that if you follow God then, among other blessings, you will also have financial blessings. God does bless us, but in the upside-down kingdom of God, we learn that wealth is usually a barrier or interference with our spiritual growth more than a blessing that draws us closer to God.

After the rich ruler came to Jesus and asked what he needed to do to inherit eternal life, Jesus reminded him that he knew the commandments. The rich man said that he had obeyed those rules all his life. Jesus replied that he had just one thing that was his hang up, and he told him how to fix it: “Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; come, follow me.”

Everyone in hearing range felt the shock and sting of these words from Jesus, and one or more of the crowd put everyone’s thoughts into words: “Then who can be saved?” It was just not practical or possible for everyone who followed Jesus to sell everything they owned! How would you live and take care of your family?! Jesus didn’t give any particulars; he just said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” 

I suspect that the rest of that day and over dinner everyone was wishing Jesus had explained himself more. We still wish Jesus had explained himself more. Jesus did say a bit more after Peter said that he and the disciples had left their families to travel with Jesus. Like us, he and the others were wondering if they had done enough and if they now qualified for the kingdom of God. In response to Peter’s question, Jesus added: “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.”

Jesus, both then and now, leaves us pondering what we need to give up to follow him. And while the particulars are different for each of us the answer is the answer; we are to give up everything we cling to and follow Jesus. 

When we get to chapter 19, we receive more insight that I imagine helped the disciples understand and may help us as well. We meet another rich man named Zacchaeus. He was known by everyone for three things: he was short, he was rich, and he was a tax collector, so he was considered a sinner in the eyes of the community. But Zacchaeus, like the rich ruler, was curious about his soul and about Jesus, so he climbed up a tree in order to get a view and to hear Jesus when he walked into Jericho. 

Jesus surprised the crowd and made Zacchaeus nearly fall out of the tree when he addressed him and told him to come down because he had invited himself to dinner at his house! The crowd made it known that they disapproved of Jesus hanging out with another rich tax collector, but that didn’t stop Jesus or Zacchaeus and several of his friends from spending the evening together.

We don’t read anything about Jesus telling Zacchaeus to give away everything and follow him. But sometime over dinner Zacchaeus made this announcement: “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.”

Now, based on the rich ruler encounter, we might expect Jesus to say that Zacchaeus would have to give both halves of his wealth, but Jesus didn’t say that. Instead, Jesus told Zacchaeus:

“Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

It seems that Jesus is always looking at the heart and making us wrestle with what we hold too closely. What Jesus might be saying is that we must daily release anything and everything that is a barrier to following him. And he will be pleased with our surrender and welcome us into his kingdom.

Father, today we pray that you show us what we are holding onto that interferes with our devotion to you. We ask that you increase our faith, that we might have the courage to let go and step closer to you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Your Time with God’s Word
Luke 18:18-30, 19:1-10 ESV

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