Sold Out

Rev. Nigel Felder

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” Luke 18:22

George Mueller was a man known for building orphanages by faith in the mid-1800s. He raised literally millions of dollars for his orphanages, yet died with little in his own bank account. When asked about his conversion experience he commented,

“I was converted in November of 1825, but I only came into the full surrender of the heart four years later, in July 1829. The love of money was gone, the love of place was gone, the love of position was gone, and the love of worldly pleasures and engagements was gone. God, God alone became my portion. I found my all in Him; I wanted nothing else. And by the grace of God this has remained, and has made me a happy man, an exceedingly happy man, and it led me to care only about the things of God. I ask affectionately, my beloved brethren, have you fully surrendered the heart to God, or is there this thing or that thing with which you have taken up irrespective of God? I read a little of the scriptures before, but preferred other books; but since that time the revelation He has made of Himself has become unspeakably blessed to me, and I can say from my heart, God is an infinitely lovely Being. Oh, be not satisfied until in your own inmost soul you can say, God is an infinitely lovely Being!” [Basil Miller, Man of Faith and Miracles (Minneapolis, Minnesota, Bethany House Publishers, n.d.)]

I have often wondered what it meant to give all over to the Lord. If George Mueller’s story is a protagonist perspective, then the story of the “rich young ruler” provides an antagonist blueprint for our understanding. The young man was surprised by Jesus’ response and I must admit I was as well. Never had I seen anyone that came to Jesus sent away by Jesus without a remedy or answer to his or her request.

The young man declares that he has kept all the commandments, but he still senses a lack; an incompleteness, or else he wouldn’t have come to Jesus in the first place. Now Jesus speaks to the young man’s point of need:

“When Jesus heard this, he said to him, ‘You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (18:22)

Jesus affirms the young man’s sense of need. The word translated “lack” is Greek “to be deficient in something that ought to be present for whatever reason, ‘lack.’ ” But Jesus’ prescription is unpleasant to the young man and to us. “Sell everything” and give the proceeds to the poor. If the man does this, Jesus assures him, he will have treasure in heaven. But Jesus’ words don’t just upset the rich young ruler. They also upset us.

As a pastor I have heard many times the response to this passage: “That doesn’t mean everyone should sell what they have, does it? If everyone did that it would result in chaos.” The story of the rich young ruler exposes a raw nerve in us that causes a reaction. And, disposing of wealth was not all that Jesus asked the man to do. Jesus concludes with two commands.

He says come and follow. “Come” is an adverb functioning as an interjection; expressing a sudden emotion. The word “follow” is the characteristic word of discipleship, to follow, figuratively, to follow someone as a disciple, “to be a disciple.”

Jesus has pierced the man’s naiveté, and has proved to him and those of us privy to this conversation, that you cannot serve God and Stuff! “Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other” (Luke 16:13). It is true. And for the young man, sadly true.

The challenge for a disciple of Jesus remains. Is there anything, any hindrance, prevents you from being “sold out” to follow Jesus? You may not be wealthy, but if there is something you possess, or that possesses you, laying it down is a vital part of being sold out to follow the Master. God must have your all. Are you sold out?

Rev. Nigal D. Felder, Director
Interfaith Campus Ministry
P.O. Box 386
Wilberforce, Ohio 45384