It is with a heart on fire, that the rich man enquires, what he needs to do, to gain eternal life . Jesus’ reply a simple one, forsake your riches and follow me, quickly lost its appeal. It is with a heavy heart, that Jesus watched him walk away. The rich man’s love for earthly treasures far outweighed his desire for heavenly treasures.
It was with a heart that is grieving , that the young man stood in the crowd. Jesus said to him, follow me., the answer was not a simple yes, for the young man wanted to bury his dead father first . His love for tradition, to fulfil the duty of a son was far stronger than his love for Jesus and His kingdom.
Yet another, captivated by Jesus’ teachings, one who heard the call, was willing to follow Him but chose to bid farewell to his family first. Do we not each hear that call, but hesitate because of our various other calling . Be it family, be it riches, be it tradition, be it the past ,we struggle to let go, the life as we know it .
In our discipleship, are we defined by our name, our gender, our religion, our wealth, our country? Or are we known only as the followers of Christ ? Are we peace loving, kind and selfless, do we forgive and forget, are we inclusive, do we reach out to the lonely outcast? Do we see through the eyes of those suffering, do we perceive and offer help to one who does not seek? Do we gloat at our enemy’s downfall or offer a hand to lift them up , do we encourage those who are downtrodden?
As believers, the question we need to ask ourselves is – Who are we ? Are we ready for the Master, when He comes, be it morning, noon or evening, have we toiled the earth sincerely and are we ready for His return ?
Mary Jacob 