Today we will continue to devote on repentance. Are you ready? Let’s quiet our heart, turn off the TV, phone, and any other external distraction as we prepare to meet our Lord in His words. Today Jesus and his disciples goes into a town where a young, well-respected man actively seek Jesus and asked him a very important question …
Scripture Reading: Mark 10:17-31
17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’[d]”
20 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is[e] to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
26 The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”
27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
28 Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!”
29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
Devotion Questions:
- Jesus was about to pay a dear price so that we may receive the salvation freely. Though salvation is ‘free’, truly following Jesus requires us to change our lifestyle, to give up things we may leisurely enjoy in this materialistic world, to sacrifice on worldly things that give us a false sense of security.
- Let’s reflect on: Are we more like Jesus’ disciples, who gave up what they had and followed Jesus? Think of what material or leisure things we have given up since following the Lord, and give thanks to Jesus for showing to us how He is so much better than anything we can give up on this world. Read the scripture again – do you see Jesus’s promise to all of us when he answered Peter? Yes indeed, Jesus said whatever we give up on this world we will receive a 100 times more in heaven!
- Or, are we more like this rich young man, who despite seeing Jesus was the only true way to eternity, could not give up his comfortable lifestyle and his worldly assets to follow the Lord? His wealth, which should be a blessing, has now become his curse because it is holding him back from salvation. Reflect on what may be holding you back in your life. Pray to God to give you the strength, the courage, and the perseverance to truly follow Him on these things.
- Repentance is much more than simply saying sorry. Saying sorry only implies we know we were wrong. Repentance requires a heart-felt understanding of our flaws, that causes an outward reaction of change. Are there bad habits, or even addictions that you have struggled to give up? Pray out-loud to Jesus to walk with us and free us from this chain so that we can be truly free.
- For those of us participating in Lent, have we felt the emptiness of physical needs? When we step out of our comfort zone, can we root our needs in Jesus and Jesus alone?