Read: Matthew 19:16-26
If you want to be complete . . . (v. 21 NASB)
The Irish playwright Oscar Wilde said, “There are two tragedies in life: one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it.” The first describes the tragedy of deprivation. The second describes the greater tragedy of disillusionment. The latter happens when the thing we most desired turns out to be empty and fails to satisfy.
In today’s reading, Jesus met a young man facing the second tragedy. The young man had kept the law of God from his youth. He was wealthy. He had everything, yet he felt a lack. Jesus spoke directly to the obstacle thwarting his satisfaction and directed him to make an exchange. “Go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me” (v. 21). Jesus himself is the great satisfaction—the end of desire, the ultimate treasure. The alternatives are not merely negative substitutes—they are hindrances. The young man chose not to make this exchange. It was too much for him to give up, so he went away sad, his wealth blocking his path to an eternal relationship of eternal life.
For every life, Jesus is the ultimate winning exchange. Do you believe the same thing about Jesus? Or do you cling to a substitute, something unsatisfying but obstructing the incomparable greatness that is offered in him?
As you pray, ask Jesus to reveal obstructions or obstacles that you need to trade in for him. He believes that you can do no better. Do you believe what Jesus said about himself? Your satisfaction depends on it.
Fred Van Dyke is a conservation biologist dedicated to the care for God’s creation. In this role Fred has served government agencies, private consulting firms, and academic institutions doing research, management, and teaching in conservation science. He is also the author of two books on faith and environmental stewardship.
