Reading Matthew 19 I am struck by the contrast between the merit of the rich young ruler as he approached Jesus and that of the children who were brought to him. Perhaps the sequence of stories is not arbitrary, but intended for the sake of comparison.
The point of comparison that I find particularly compelling at the moment is how the little children had nothing, by way of accomplishment, to offer Jesus but rather were brought to him so he could pray for them. The rich young ruler, however, quickly listed his religious accolades of law keeping during his inquiry into the requirements of eternal life. On the surface, it seems as if this man had quite a lot to offer Jesus' mission, and yet his polished resume only left him empty-handed. The children, on the other hand only had the ability to sit on Jesus lap and yet they went away blessed.
In a world where one's resume seems to determine so much in terms of respect and self-worth, I must continually be reminded that the only qualification for work in Jesus kingdom is my childlike acceptance of his blessing as my only merit. I am no where close to identifying with Paul's statement "I consider it all loss for the sake of knowing Christ".
In Progress-Jamaica
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