Christ did not say to the rich young man, “If you want to be perfect, then
sell all your property and give it to the poor.” Christ speaks in another
way and says, “Go, sell what you have and give it to the poor and come,
take up the cross and follow me” (Mk. 10:21). To sell one’s property and
give it to the poor is at most a beginning. To give all to the poor, that
is the first step; it is to take up the cross. The next step, the
protracted continuation, is to carry your cross. It must take place daily,
not once and for all, and there must not be anything, anything at all,
that
you would not be willing to give up in self denial.
Megan R. wrote:
> As Nicodemus came at night, so a king comes to Christ at night and
> wants to be a disciple. I wonder what Christ might say to him. “If you
> want to continue being what you are – a king –then fear nothing from
> me; my kingdom is not of this world. I will be your subject like
> anyone else, will be your humble and loyal subject, and I will teach
> my disciples to be the same. But if you want to be a disciple – oh,
> man, then I am the king. Take off your crown, give everything away,
> follow me.”
>
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