Category: Devotion of the Day

DOING BUSINESS WITH CHRIST: THE YOUNG RULER

Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
Matthew 19:16

This promising youth did no real business with Jesus, because he did not really mean business. For all his manners and morals and money, he would not pay the price of real discipleship. Some very nice people would like to have eternal life as a good investment, but Jesus is not handing out salvation in return for another “good thing” on our self-righteous record of commandments already kept. He wanted to blast this young ruler into a real venture of daring faith that would cut him loose from his security, but the prospective disciple would not move from his moorings. It turned out that, after all, he loved his money more than his soul.

It takes a radical break to turn a man from earth’s trash to heaven’s treasure. Our Lord came immediately to the issue and would have this young man cut the knot instead of gradually untying it. He would have him bring the matter to a quick climax and be done with it.

For all his good points, this fine prospect missed his blessing while poorer specimens like Bartimaeus, Zacchaeus, the Samaritan woman, got theirs. Jesus loved him, but lost him because the questioner never meant business, though no man ever seemed to mean business more than he.

DOING BUSINESS WITH CHRIST: PILATE

What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?
Matthew 27:22

Pilate had to do business with Jesus, and so must we all. We cannot wash our hands of the whole business any more than could he. We cannot leave Christ alone. The question is not, “What will you do with Jesus?” but “What are you doing with Him now?” We are for or against, we gather with Him or we scatter abroad.

Pilate faced the alternatives of cynicism: “What is truth?”; criminality: “Barabbas or Jesus?”; Caesar: “If thou let this man go thou art not Caesar’s friend.” The issue is always “Christ or…”

This unbelieving world, whether it choose the cynic, the criminal, or Caesar, must do something with Christ. He is inescapable. And men must settle with Christ, not with a church or a preacher. Let us never obscure the issue: what are you doing with Jesus the Christ? “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”