February 21, 2020

Have You Looked in the Mirror Lately?

Luke 18:15–43

Brady Deskin
Friday's Devo

February 21, 2020

Friday's Devo

February 21, 2020

Central Truth

No one is perfect, but God requires perfection to earn salvation. Then who can be saved? The key is whom you choose to follow.

Key Verse | Luke 18:27b

"What is impossible with man is possible with God."

Luke 18:15–43

Let the Children Come to Me

15 Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 17 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”

The Rich Ruler

18 And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’” 21 And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.” 22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 23 But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. 24 Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” 27 But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” 28 And Peter said, “See, we have left our homes and followed you.” 29 And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers 1 18:29 Or wife or brothers and sisters or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30 who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.”

Jesus Foretells His Death a Third Time

31 And taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. 32 For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. 33 And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” 34 But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.

Jesus Heals a Blind Beggar

35 As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36 And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. 37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” 38 And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 40 And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” 42 And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” 43 And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

Footnotes

[1] 18:29 Or wife or brothers and sisters

Dive Deeper | Luke 18:15–43

Those who heard Jesus' response to the rich young ruler were astonished that this man who had followed all of the rules still lacked something needed to inherit eternal life. What they didn't realize is that no one can meet Jesus' perfect standard because no one is good except God alone, for all have sinned (Romans 3:23).

That's not how most of us think. We have it engrained in us to build a resume of our accomplishments to help us compare favorably to the next person. Ask average folks if they are good people, and undoubtedly they will say they are. But when we measure ourselves against God's standard, the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3-17), as Jesus does in Luke 18:20, we can see that we're not good—especially when those commandments are understood as Jesus explains in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:21-48). The Law is not a way to earn eternity, but rather a mirror to reflect the true nature of our brokenness.

For thirty years of my life, I broke these commandments regularly by being dishonest, stealing, using the Lord's name in vain, and committing adultery (see Matthew 5:28). The mistake I made in regard to getting to heaven was thinking my good would outweigh my bad, while ignoring the truth about God that He will by no means clear the guilty (Numbers 14:18). Without Christ, we all will be judged based on the crimes we committed (Hebrews 9:27), no different than a judge today who won't consider any good we have done when we've broken the law. Unfortunately for us, the wages for our sin is death (Romans 6:23); and as I just confessed, I've earned my wages.

The key here, and what I'm praying you won't miss, is what Jesus' response to the rich young ruler was. Jesus told him the key to eternal life is following Him (Luke 18:22). Following Jesus means trusting that His way is better than your way (Isaiah 55:8-9). Believing in Christ means you no longer come into judgment but pass from death to life (John 5:24). Will you accept this free gift of salvation today?

Discussion Questions

1. The God of the universe wants us to receive His gift of following Him! There are no hoops to jump through, no if-then situations, no maybes. He loves you more than you'll ever know and wants to call you His. He will never stop pursuing you. Our God loves us that much. Are you ready to stop following the world and start following the One?

2. If you have placed your faith in Jesus already, who have you shared the gospel with this week?

3. Does it worry you that Jesus says it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God (Luke 18:25)? Keep in mind that if you make more than $35K annually you are in the top 1% of richest people in the world. Come to Moneywise to learn what God says about money.