Last night I found myself on an hour and a half long conference call for the mission trip I will be going on in April. Our leaders were preparing us for what we will need to know, need to have, and essentially need to pack. Whenever you go on a trip one of the big worries is always what do I need to pack...what am I going to do, what's the temperature like, and what is the culture like?
In the book of Mark this same question came up, "Good Teacher, what should I do to get eternal life?" 10:17b. Essentially the rich young man was asking, what do I need to pack to get to Heaven. However, this man thought he was already packed just right, but he just felt like he was still missing something in his luggage. His life seemed to be very fulfilled, but he was still missing eternal life. So what was the hangup? As far as he knew he had never broken any Mosaic laws, he was blessed beyond measure financially, what was he missing?
Jesus looked at this man with true compassion. He could see into his soul and know he was truly lost, like a sheep who had lost his way and was trying to find his way back to the peaceful meadow. "Jesus felt genuine love for this man as he looked at him. "You lack only one thing," he told him. "Go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." Mark 10:21. This man may have been a good man, but what he was lacking was actually an overage, he had way to much baggage. He couldn't make it to heaven because he had packed to much and needed to do some unpacking. That baggage had built a wall between he and Christ. "At this, the man's face fell, and he went sadly away because he had many possessions." Mark 10:22.
The rich young man couldn't have eternal life not because he was rich, but because he held tight to his wealth and held it in higher esteem than his love for God. Jesus looked at him with love, He loved this rich man, but this rich man LOVED his money. We all have things that get in the way of our relationship with God and eternal life. A life that will be filled with love and JOY. This life is a new life, a new creation. God is asking us to just unpack our baggage...our addictions, our love of money, our greed, our hatred, our possessions, our envy, whatever it may be that is weighing us down...and follow Him. We have to stop stuffing our luggage with baggage that is making it bust at the seams, that is putting us over the weight limit, causing us to pay extra fees to pay the price of flight. The flight to Eternal life has already been paid for us and Jesus Christ has paid that price. He is willing to take your baggage for FREE.
For years my separation from Christ was my own Will Power. I was loading my luggage with all on my own baggage. I thought I could handle everything on my own. I didn't need anyone to help me with my struggles. I was good all on my own! Finally (thank the LORD) I reached a point where I realized (felt like I had tripped and the baggage I was carrying was crushing my body) my whole life was out of control. There wasn't a plane big enough to carry my luggage to Heaven. Thank God, Jesus paid the price for me, and I handed every piece of baggage over to God. My load was finally light, and I was able to follow Him. He gave me a One-Way ticket to Eternal Life.
What about you? What's your luggage look like? What type of baggage are you carrying around? Let God lighten the load. Don't be like the rich young man, unpack and follow Him.
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