THE KING’S BUSINESS
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Thursday, July 22. Mark 10:28-31.
the spirit of Jesus’ command holds for all His disciples (Luke 14:33). Jesususually calls upon those who would come after Him, to give up something. Love to Him makes it easy to give up anything for Him (2 Cor. 5:14, 15). Jesus told the young man that if he obeyed he would have “treasure in heaven.” He was not merely to sell all, but further, “Come and follow me.” The selling all was simply preparatory to this (1 Cor. 13:3). “He went away sorrowful.” By turning from Jesus rather than give up his earthly treasures he lost eternal treas ures and lost his soul. The young man de sired eternal life, but he desired money more—surely a mad choice. The reason any man fails of eternal life is because he de sires something else more. Wednesday, July 21. Mark 10:23-27. Jesus took occasion from this incident to point out the danger of riches (cf. Prov. 30:8, 4; Matt. 13:22; 1 Tim. 6:9, 10). Most men are willing to run the risk, and many men. have lost their souls by running this risk. The world is full of illustrations of the truth of Jesus’ statement. Wealth and piety seldom go hand in hand. Many a man has lost his spirituality as he increased in wealth. There are few rich men saved (1 Cor. 1:26; Jas. 2:5, 6). Jesus’ disciples were astonished at His .words. Our Lord used a strong figure to illustrate-the impos sibility of a rich man being saved. Men have sought to tone the figure down, but for that there is no warrant. Jesus 'tells them it is possible for God to save a rich man (v. 26), but nothing but the special grace of God can save him. In meeting the perplexity of His disciples, our Lord uttered a truth that has great comfort in it, “With God all things are possible” (cf. Gen. 18:14). The disciples in their amazement asked an important question, “Who then can be saved?” ;. God has answered this question elsewhere (Rom. 10:13), but the disciples’ thought in the question was, if a rich man can’t be saved, there can’t, be much hope for anybody..
The one who gives up everything for Jesus gains it back a hundred-fold here, and in the world to come the infinite life. It pays to make sacrifices for Jesus. Happy is the man who can say as Peter did, “We have left all and have followed Thee.” Peter told the truth: they had forsaken all and followed Jesus (Luke 5:11). There was much that was very imperfect about Peter and his companions, but the great renun ciation that is necessary in order to be a true disciple of Jesus (Luke 14:33) they had made, and they had begun to walk in the path that leads to certain persecution here, and certain glory hereafter. ’ How many of us who profess today to be follow ers of Christ can say as truthfully as Peter did, “We have left all and have followed Thee?” But if we have, there will be no occasion for regret: we “shall receive an hundred-fold more in this time” of the very sort of things we forsake. It is true that persecution will come along with them, but they will be only seasoning for the feast. The great recompense, however, will be in the age to come. What shall we have then ? “Eternal Life.” How few take in the im mensity ol that tremendous phrase—“Eter nal Life.” Ponder it for a while until your heart begins to swell with its mighty im port. “Eternal Life” will be cheap indeed, at any price, and when we have really en tered into the experience of it, how we will laugh at ourselves that we should have ever hesitated to forsake anything this life offers to obtain it. Friday, July 23. Mark 10:32-41. Though the disciples had forsaken all, their thoughts still Were largely upon earthly things, and James and John came openly with a request ffctt was -secretly in the hearts of all. “Give us the first place, they asked. Ah! the first place has a price, a baptism of suffering. Can you pay the price, James and John? “We can,” they
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