30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 18 18-30 FOLLOWING JESUS TO HAVE ETERNAL LIFE 16 Left all to follow Jesus
📖 Luke 18:18-30
13Oct2020 - *Left all to follow Jesus* - _Luke 18:18-30_ - FOLLOWING JESUS TO HAVE ETERNAL LIFE 16 – Bible reading: _Hebrews 11:8-10_
The disciples were baffled that Jesus had said that those who trust in riches will not enter the kingdom of God. The question in their mind, at that point, was, “Who then can be saved?”
The Lord replied. _Luke 18:27-28 But He said, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God." (28) Then Peter said, "See, we have left all and followed You."_
Yesterday, we said that God intervenes into our everyday issues of life and there He brings spiritual laws and principles into play. The disciples were looking at the requirement of leaving all and following Jesus from their limited materialistic world view but suddenly they realised that the intervention of God had already taken place in their lives. They had, in fact, already shifted base from the material to the spiritual.
_Luke 5:9-11 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; (10) and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men." (11) So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him._
Peter, Andrew, James and John were all fishermen. They owned a fishing business and they were partners. There was much in stake for them in their trade. Their dreams and aspirations would have most probably revolved around fishing. Through Jesus, they have had a great catch. What should have been their natural response?
I would say, the natural response would be to see Jesus as a great source through whom their dreams and aspirations would be fulfilled. Isn’t this where most of are today? Isn’t this the message that is being preached and taught us? Isn’t this the message that we go seeking to hear?
Please do not misunderstand me. God is not calling us to leave our regular lives and live as hermits. God is calling us to be His vice-regents, ruling over all of His creation, in His image _(Genesis 1:26, Psalm 8:3-6)_ God is calling us to experience the shifting of our base from the material to our relationship with Him.
The disciples had experienced the miraculous intervention of God in their lives and they had shifted base from the material to pursue a relationship with Jesus as their Lord and Master.
Matthew had the experience. _Matthew 9:9 As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, "Follow Me." So he arose and followed Him._
Apostle Paul had this experience. _Philippians 3:7-8 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. (8) Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ_
Let us look at Abraham. _Hebrews 11:8-10 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. (9) By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; (10) for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God._
Abraham’s heart was set on God and not on the land. We see this in the interaction between him and Lot as they divided the land between themselves. _Genesis 13:8-9 So Abram said to Lot, "Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren. (9) Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left."_
If Abraham’s base was the material, would he have handled this matter of separating from one another in this manner, considering that God had promised the land to him? He was able to respond in this manner, for Abraham’s base was God and not the material.
God gave the entire land to Abraham after Lot had separated from him but what was Abraham’s response?
_Genesis 13:14-18 And the LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: "Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are—northward, southward, eastward, and westward; (15) for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. (16) And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered. (17) Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you." (18) Then Abram moved his tent, and went and dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to the LORD._
He preferred to be under the shelter of God amongst the trees of Mamre.
Stephen confirms this for us about Abraham. _Acts 7:5 And God gave him no inheritance in it, not even enough to set his foot on. But even when Abraham had no child, He promised to give it to him for a possession, and to his descendants after him._
Down through the ages, the same principle of shifting base from the material to God has been experienced by myriads of men and women of God and the truth continues on.
*Thought to ponder*
```Will you also join this great cloud of witnesses, if you have not done so already?```