Jesus in HD (Part 164) -- So Near, and Yet So Far

You could
call this story an epic “Opportunity Lost.”

You talk
about a guy presented with a once-in-a-lifetime golden opportunity,
an opportunity that he squandered. An opportunity that he
squandered Badly.And.Sadly.

As you will
hear in this PODCAST, we're talking about an
offer rarely made, and shockingly dismissed.

A young man
who burst on the scene like a blazing comet streaking overhead,
only to flame out and fall out of the sky to come crashing and
burning to earth.

What a
story!

One thing’s
for sure. Jesus never took a class on Personal Evangelism. Because,
to be honest, Jesus Broke.Every.Rule of personal evangelism in this
very personal encounter.

Here you
have what we call in our contemporary Christian culture a seeker
coming to Jesus to ask Him one question. THE question. The single
most important question.

A softball
question that any one of us could answer.

His
question?

“What
should I do to inherit eternal life?”

This young
man asked Jesus exactly the right question, to which Jesus gave him
exactly the wrong answer!

Or did
He?

Don’t fault
me for asking that. Jesus’ own disciples thought that Jesus gave
him the wrong answer. Check it out: The disciples were “astounded
and astonished” when they heard Jesus’ answer.

All this
guy needed to do, all that Jesus needed to tell him to do, was to
pray a “Jesus, come into my heart” prayer, right? Yet, by the time
Jesus got done with him? The young man walked away.

In the
words of the noted Lutheran New Testament scholar, R.C.H.
Lenski,

“Picture
him: an exemplary young man in early manhood, fine and clean
morally as the phrase now goes… wealthy... with a strong religious
bent… a pillar (in the community)... Where is the church that would
not give him a prominent place?... Yet all this is in the eyes of
Jesus… worthless.”

Yeah
verily, I will add, so worthless that Jesus offended him. Lost him.
Drove him away.

Know
why?

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God bless
you richly as you listen.