He was pious and respectful. "What do I need to do to inherit eternal life?" he asked Jesus. Well, you know the commandments.....oh, yes, and I follow them all. Then there is just one thing.....Here it comes.........."go, sell all you have, give it to the poor, and some follow me." Five commands. All his money and worldly possessions. Oh no!
Talking about money is OK as long as we are talking in the abstract, about someone else's money.
If we are talking about MY money, then it's really none of your business.
And that is true to a point. You can have an opinion on how I spend my money, but in the end, it is all moot. I can do what I want.
Of course you can. Who would you have to answer to? Your spouse. Your children. The tax collector. The bill collectors.
God. God? God.
Baptism is the beginning of a journey of faith formation.........a looooooong journey of becoming a follower of Jesus, of allowing ourselves to be shaped by Jesus' teaching because Jesus loves us with a love that rocks our world into new adventures. Baptism begins our learning about Jesus, practicing his lessons, and sharing his story. That's one of the reasons it is called 'new life.'
Baptism is the beginning of a new life in Christ. Everything about us is now understood through the lens of God's great love for us. Everything.......including our money. It's all or nothing. Either you follow Jesus, or you don't.
The rich young ruler just about got there. He was willing to be baptized into new life in Jesus......as long as it didn't include his money. Can't you picture him holding his wallet over his head as the minister dunks him in the baptismal pool?
Know anyone like that?
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