Q3. Follow Me!

[Eager Bver]

Q3. (Mark 10:22) Why is poverty and self-sacrifice an inadequate religion? Why does Jesus ask the man to follow him? In what senses was this a great privilege that the man was offered? Why did he reject the offer?

Poverty and self-sacrifice is not a religion. To make it a religion is inadequate because you must focus on Christ and the things of the spirit. To self-sacrifice without love profits you nothing.

He asked him to follow him to show that he loved him more than money.

The man was offered a chance at eternal life with Christ.

He loved money and his possessions too much. He had money as his god.

[Raph]

Q3. (Mark 10:22) Why is poverty and self-sacrifice an inadequate religion?

Poverty and self-sacrifice is an inadequate religion beacuse being poor or to make self sacrife does not guarantee salvation.

Why does Jesus ask the man to follow him?

Jesus asked the man to follow him beacuse of His love to this man, He wanted this man to be His disciple.

In what senses was this a great privilege that the man was offered?

It was a great privilege in the sense that, this man was offered an opportunity to be with Jesus and learn more from Him in a daily basis.

Why did he reject the offer?

The man rejected the offer because of his love to wealth. He was not prepared to part with his wealth.

[blezed]

Q3. (Mark 10:22) Why is poverty and self-sacrifice an inadequate religion? Why does Jesus ask the man to follow him? In what senses was this a great privilege that the man was offered? Why did he reject the offer?

1) Poverty and self-sacrifice is an inadequate religion because it can be done with wrong intensions; many times we can give out of duty, trying to fullfill our obligation to do what is required of us. If it is not done from the heart it really does not mean anything. We cannot earn our salvation.

2) Jesus asked the man to follow him because he loved him and wanted him to be one of his disciples.

3) The great privilege that the man was offered was to spend time with Jesus. To enjoy His company and presence; to be taught His word and spirit and to become a part of his extended family.

4) The young ruler rejected the offer because he love his material possesions more than Jesus.

[Gerbrand van Schalkwyk]

Why is poverty and self-sacrifice an inadequate religion?

We must be obediant to God's will, we are not suppose to decide what God wants for us. Jesus said "and these things will be added on to you". God will give us as He knows best for our ability to handle. Some can handle material things and still have agreat relationship with God, others can't. We must allow God to be in control of our haves and have nots as well as our suffering.

Why does Jesus ask the man to follow him?

Jesus wants ultimately for us to have a relationship with Him. He wants all of us to follow him, so why not this man as well.

In what senses was this a great privilege that the man was offered?

It is a fantastic privilege for all of us to be given the change to serve the Almighty Creator of everything. If you think about Who we are serving it blows your mind

Why did he reject the offer?

He was probably worriedabout his status, what others might think about his actions, or he valued his possesions too much. The Bible doesnt realy tell us

[pickledilly]

Actually, I think any “religion” is inadequate. Anything filled with rules and self-effort to do enough or make yourself worthy of God is prone to fill one with a sense of duty rather than devotion. That aside, there is no intrinsic virtue in poverty that make someone closer to the Kingdom of God. And self-sacrifice is usually focused on SELF. There can be pride in both.

Jesus invited the man to follow Him out of love for this one who knew all the right things about Yahweh but didn’t know Yahweh, one who was diligent and faithful to what he knew but misunderstood the primary point of the Law. In general, rabbis did not just take on everybody, but sought exceptional students of the Law as disciples. Jesus, of course, had chosen men who would not have been considered good candidates by others. But I think Jesus recognized a true seeker’s heart in this young man and extended a rare opportunity to intimately learn what the rabbi knew, as well as how to live before Yahweh and man as the rabbi lived (the goal of any rabbi's disciples). What a sad, sad example of missing the boat as the rich young ruler turned his back on following the ultimate Rabbi because of his love for and attachment to worldly things. What a lesson to be learned from that.

[jacquie7]

I do not believe that poverty is of God because He has too much to offer His Kingdom here on earth. Self-sacrifice -- for what and whose purposes, there is nothing we can do on our own to enter the Kingdom of heaven. When Jesus asked the young man to follow Him, He was offering him an opportunity to have the eternal life he was seeking. Jesus knew the young man’s heart and used this as an opportunity to teach others that to have eternal life takes more than just keeping the commandments. It also takes sacrifice and giving up worldly things, not putting more into one’s possessions than in God. Jesus offered him the wonderful privilege of following and learning from Him, to become one of His disciples. However, the young man did not want to part with his riches, which hindered his opportunity to follow Jesus and for eternal life.

[tgandy]

Jesus ask the rich man to follow him.  Sell all he had give it to the  poor and follow him.  The man had great wealth, he could not part with it.  Jesus wanted the man to follow him and be a disciple.  what an honor.  The man wanted his wealth more than he wanted Jesus.  Poverty and self sacrifice does not make you a Christian.  It is what you do with what you have. Then follow the Lord.

[Ernie's Son]

Since it is hard for the rich to enter the Kingdom, one might think it would be easier for the poor.  Could poverty become, in a sense, an attempt at self-righteousness?  One might think the less one has temptation should not trouble them as with the warnings that come with riches?  In short, what one could do instead of what one could be in the Lord.   " . . . all our righteousness are as filthy rages. . . . " (Is. 64:6).  We must have His righteousness as our garment.

 

My father use to tell me the more one has the more time and responsibility it takes.  It makes me sort of think in terms of having less is the better of the two: riches or poverty.  I could think in terms of riches being more of an inadequate religion than poverty.  Which has more warnings, poverty or riches?

 

"The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them" (Mt. 11:5).  In each segment of this Scripture (the blind, lame, lepers, deaf, dead, and the poor) are being rescued by Christ.   I'm just not sure how poverty can become a religion?

 

Why would Jesus want this man to follow him?  The main reason Christ asked him to follow Him was that "he loved him."  He (Christ) no doubt saw that he was on the wrong road.  After he was commanded to "sell all" that he had and "give to the poor," Jesus asks two other things.  He would have to "come here" and "follow." 

 

The privilege to follow Christ as a disciple would have been an offer that is mind boggling.  In the Gospel story, there are people who came to Jesus wanting to follow Him, and there were people that Jesus asked to follow Him.  If one looks at the word meanings from the lesson material, he was being asked to "follow Christ as a disciple."

 

This was a rare moment in time and in the life of this young man.  "For many are called, but few are chosen" (Mt. 22:14).  And this young man was one of them--"the few."  Such a privilege--did he actually know that the Great Shepherd was calling him?

 

Why did he reject Christ?  "And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions" (Mk. 10:22).  He just could not turn loose of his wealth/money.

[Happy and in Love]

To follow in Christ is to be rich in heart and we are taught through His word that obedient is better than sacrifice.  The young rich ruler did not expect for Jesus to ask him to follow Him.  However, Jesus was not surprise of the young ruler's response because He knows all things. Apparently, either he did not study the word of God through the writing of  earlier  prophets with pureness of heart or he did not listen wholeheartedly to the teaching of Jesus. The word teaches us to self-examine ourselves.  This is a good lesson that prompts me to examine myself to ensure that my lifestyle and motives are pleasing to God. And to continue to pray for guidance.  

To have Jesus Himself to teach you is an awesome gift and unspeakable opportunity.  To walk with, to talk to and to fellowship with Jesus face-to-face is more than incredible, magnificent--it is a joy, honor and privilege not to be taken lightly.  

[MosesSole]

On 9/16/2010 at 2:43 PM, Pastor Ralph said:

Q3. (Mark 10:22) Why is poverty and self-sacrifice an inadequate religion?  I don't think that one should have to become poor in order to serve God faithfully. You can have wealth and serve God first with all the resources available to you, resources that a poor worshipper will not have.

Why does Jesus ask the man to follow him? In what senses was this a great privilege that the man was offered? Why did he reject the offer? The ruler probably saw the wisdom of Jesus and found the invitation to follow as a lifetime opportunity. He rejected the offer because he was not able to give up his life of privilege in order to live in the discomfort of poverty. Again, I wonder why we have to choose poverty in order to be saved.