BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

He didn’t do that because they were poor! He did it because they were rich. Every one of Jesus’ disciples was a wealthy man. He told them when He called them into His service not to bring their wealth with them because He didn’t want them relying on their own resources. He wanted them to learn how to live by faith in God and experience His supernatural provision. Jesus’ disciples didn’t wear the same clothes for three years! They didn’t go hungry and do without. Are you kidding me? When you’re working for a Man who can take a little boy’s lunch and feed 10,000 people with it, you are not going to lack, and the disciples didn’t either. They testified to it themselves in Luke 22:35. There, Jesus asked them after they’d been with Him for three years, “When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing.” “But what about the story of the rich young ruler?” you might ask. “Didn’t Jesus essentially tell him to take a vow of poverty? That to get right with God he had to give away everything he had?” No. That is not what Jesus said. According to Mark 10, the young ruler came running to Jesus, kneeled before Him, and asked, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17, "New King James Version"). So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’” And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.” Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me” (verses 18-21, "NKJV"). What To Say When You Don’t Understand Jesus didn’t ask that man to embrace poverty! He didn’t tell him to give away everything he had. He told him to sell it and give to the poor. What’s the difference? When a man starts selling and giving at Jesus’ direction, he’s essentially going into business with Him, which means he’s about to become wealthier than he’s ever been in his life. Not only is he about to have abundant treasure in heaven, he’s setting himself up to receive a hundredfold return here on earth. The young ruler didn’t understand this. He didn’t stick around long enough for Jesus to explain it to him, either. Instead, he was saddened by Jesus’ words and “went away grieved” (verse 22). Grief is a killer that will cause you to make stupid decisions. It’s brought about by a heavy sense of loss, and to the young ruler giving represented loss. Once he heard the word give, sorrow overtook him and he didn’t hear anything else. As a result, he missed out on the biggest thing Jesus said: “Come; follow Me.” Talk about missing out on the invitation of a lifetime! The only people to whom Jesus said those words became Apostles of the Lamb. The young ruler could have and should have accepted that invitation. He could have said, “Jesus, I don’t understand why You’re asking me to sell what I have and give to the poor, but I’m not leaving You. You have the words of life, and I’m staying with You.” Then he would have been there when Jesus told His disciples a few moments later, “Whatever anyone gives up for God’s kingdom will be multiplied back to them a hundredfold.” Jesus fully intended for the rich young ruler to hear that. But he chose to leave instead. What’s more, Jesus didn’t stop him. He let him go. This is something you need to know about The LORD: He is not going to explain to you why He wants you to do something before He tells you to do it. If He did, you wouldn’t be walking by faith, you’d be walking by sight. Fifty-five years ago, when He told me, 'Kenneth, I want you to preach the uncompromised message of faith on every available voice,' that’s all He said. He didn’t tell me all it would involve. He just gave me the command, and I said, “Yes, Sir.” 6 : BVOV

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