Session 16

Do you know who you’re talking to?

From Matthew: A 28-Day Devotional

Have you ever noticed how easily we assign different values to words based on who's speaking? 

Suppose your broke uncle called and said to sell all you have and buy stock in Blackberry. You'd probably roll your eyes, thank him for the call, then get off the phone as quickly as possible. However, if Warren Buffett called and said he was going to sink his entire net worth (over $74.7 billion) into that same stock tomorrow, our reaction would be entirely different. Based on his reputation and success in investing, we would take seriously his advice about money.

In Matthew 19, we see a rich young ruler come to Jesus and ask how to get to heaven. Upon hearing that he had to sell everything he has, the young man turns away from following Jesus. What is really fascinating is the title that the young man uses to address Jesus: good teacher. This title was a sign of respect used for religious teachers in the temple.

How would this story change if the young ruler really understood that he was addressing God come in the flesh, not just a religious teacher? The young man wanted eternal life, a relationship with God after death. This young ruler was face to face with the object of his desire and missed it because he didn’t realize who he was speaking to.

How often do we fail to follow Jesus for the exact same reason? Following Jesus is about taking our next step in faith, but faith has to be in something worthy of it. If we let the object of our faith become ourselves, our church, our finances, or anything other than God, we will find ourselves like the rich young ruler — walking away from what Jesus calls us to.

Reflect:

• Has your appreciation and wonder of who Jesus is been growing or shrinking over time? Why do you think this is?
• What would you be doing differently if Jesus showed up every day on your doorstep?
• What is Jesus asking you to do that makes you wonder if He knows what He is doing? What step can you take today to have faith in what He has called you to do?