“When Jesus heard this, he said to him, ‘One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.’” – Luke 18:22
A rich man asked Jesus what he needed to do to receive eternal life. His question was misdirected as it is for most people. There’s nothing anyone can do to receive eternal life. There’s no amount of good deeds sufficient to be worthy of the perfection of our holy God. Eternal life is a gift of God given by grace through faith in His Son. To help the man understand this matter of the heart, Jesus tested him to see if he had faith in Jesus or in himself and his stuff.
Did the man have faith sufficient to follow Jesus? Did he have faith that would permit him to let go of what was most precious to him on earth (money) so he could receive what he thought was most precious (eternal life). Unfortunately, he didn’t. He was too attached to his money. In itself, having wealth doesn’t keep anyone from heaven. However, if your possessions, accounts, assets, and properties consume your time, energy, and emotions, leaving little to follow Jesus they’ll keep you from genuine saving faith.
If you’re more attached to stuff than you are to Jesus, that indicates a lack of true faith. If you’re more interested in piling up treasure on earth and what it can do for you than you are in storing up eternal treasure in heaven, that indicates a lack of true faith. Follow Jesus, whatever the cost! Don’t let stuff (cars, homes, toys, treasures, assets, careers, or dollars) hold you back from truly following Jesus. It’s a matter of eternal life!