Lessons from Matthew 19: Biblical Poverty
It is probably clear to you, as a Christian, that our world is saturated with biblical poverty.
People have bought into the culture of the world and its ways, which are diametrically opposed to God and His Word.
People are no longer seeking their great Creator. Instead, they are seeking a creator of their own making. And therefore people are dying spiritually, dying from biblical poverty. Living in darkness by scorning the light of God’s truth, they are buying into the lies of Satan by following their own selfish desires. They are fulfilling their own selfish ways which are opposed to God and His teachings.
Therefore, for those of us who truly believe in God through His Son Jesus Christ, we must know the truth of God and His Word. And then, we must act upon its truth in our own lives.
In doing so, we may have to lose it all in order to gain what really matters.
This is the way to eradicate biblical poverty and spread the gospel of good news. We do this by the studying and living out God’s truth for ourselves and then turning around and giving it out to others. And sometimes we must also preach the gospel to ourselves in order to line our thinking and our actions up with God’s.
That is exactly what Jesus was doing. He was teaching, not only the 12 disciples, but also others the truth of who He was and what He desired.
God promises rewards, suffering, and power for those who leave all for His sake.
Jesus promised that for those who would receive these truths, they would be rewarded (Matthew 19:23-20:17). But these things come at a cost–a cost to us and to others (Matthew 20:17-28). Yet He also promised power. Power to live the holy and consecrated life He called each believer to live in (Matthew 20:18-21:16).
Jesus’s teaching is clear: Salvation comes by faith in Christ alone. There is nothing anyone can to do earn it; it’s a free gift. He promises to reward with eternal life, and many other blessings, those who live out their faith. Yet along with these blessings or rewards comes the promise of a cost.
All who receive the gift of salvation through faith in Christ will bear His cross. The cross of His own choosing for your life. But the good news is that in that cross of suffering there will be great power and thus great joy in His goodness, grace, and mercy!
The Promise of Rewards
We saw previously how Jesus had challenged the rich young ruler to examine his own heart and to see where his treasure really lay. The question was, what did he truly love more, Jesus or his possessions?
We learned that the rich young ruler loved his position, power, and possessions more than He loved God and the things of God. Therefore he turned away from Jesus and His offer of eternal life with great sadness. Even after seeing Jesus’s great love for him, he returned to his life and its temporal pleasures.
And then Jesus turned His focus on those in His presence, His disciples. He began to teach them about the accumulation of wealth and power and prestige.
Jesus taught that those who have great wealth are not likely to come into the kingdom of God! In fact, Jesus illustrated this fact by telling them that it would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Terri Hamman
Faith & Fitness Coach