gold is not all that glitters

This past week I was going through our church's Bible reading plan, and read the story of the rich young man in Matthew 19. It's a story that's remained in the back of my mind as far back as I can remember. And it's funny because I don't think I can even properly remember the story of Samson with all the VeggieTales videos and storybooks, but this brief encounter between Jesus and one man embedded a deep fear in my heart that I couldn't shake.

A rich man comes to Jesus and asks him what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus replies with a few of the Ten Commandments and to "love our neighbors as ourselves."

Check. Chris, you are golden. One-way ticket to heaven!

The rich young man replies, "All these I have kept. What do I still lack?"

Wait. This guy sounds a lot like me. "Lack"? Am I missing something here?
Jesus says, "If you want to be perfect..."

Yes, indeed. We must be perfect to get to heaven. I want to be perfect! What's the catch?
"... go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

And the young man went away sad because he had great wealth.

Later, Jesus goes on to say that it's harder for the rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven than for a camel to enter the eye of a needle. As a child, I thought that was too tight a squeeze for me, and therefore resolved never to be rich, period.

Now, at age 20, I succeeded. I am not monetarily rich, and don't plan on ever really being rich. But I do have a CS degree from one of the most prestigious universities in America, and apparently that's worth a pretty high-paying entry level job at companies like Amazon, Facebook, or Google. I'm a good person; I've followed every rule. I'm generally regarded as highly intelligent. I haven't rebelled against my parents. I'm pretty generous. I know how to welcome people. I know how to share about Jesus with people. I serve faithfully in the church. I'm pretty athletic, and I'm at least above average in most things I can think of. They aren't literally gold, but these are very shiny things. And what the Apostle Paul thinks about himself, I often think of myself:

"If someone else thinks they have reasons to be confident in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless."
- Philippians 3:4b-6

But then he goes on to say:

"But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ."
- Philippians 3:7

All that he had going for him was going against him. It's like how the wealth of the rich man keeps him from passing through the eye of the needle. It's like a man whose house is on fire and when he stops to grab his possessions, he ends up burning to death. It's like Lot's wife who looked back and turned into a pillar of salt. It's like putting your hand in a Pringles can and being unable to pull it back out because you're holding on to too many chips. It is like many, many things.

But more than anything, it is like the rich young man who went away sad.

And I am not super rich in terms of money and possessions, but I am rich in terms of gifts and talents. And I always wondered how I could give all those things up; that is, how I could stop trusting in my talents as my backup for finding a job, stop trusting in the wisdom I have to counsel people, and stop trusting in the comforts of everyday life to carry me another day.

So cliche, but the answer is always, always Jesus. Because Jesus is the One who opens my eyes to see that the key words are not go, sell your possessions, but they are you will have treasure in heaven. And as my eyes widen daily to see just how awesome the treasure is - talking with God, being in His presence, knowing God's truth, feasting on His Word, having His guidance, being part of His Kingdom and will - my talents and gifts are indeed loss for the sake of Christ.

All this to say that: gold, my good sirs, is not all that glitters.