Are Christians or followers of Jesus really seen as people of sacrifice?  This is a very interesting question.  Yesterday morning (Monday) in our teaching time Eddie (the director here at Caravan) challenged us to be people of prayer, humility, sacrifice, and understanding.  All of those are certainly worthy to be dealt more time, but I want to spend a few minutes thinking about the whole sacrifice element.

Luke 18:18-30 tells of an interaction Jesus had with a ruler.  Check it out:

A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’”

“All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said.

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?”

Jesus replied, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.”

Peter said to him, “We have left all we had to follow you!”

“I tell you the truth,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life.”

It’s an interesting story huh?  In it we meet a guy who came to Jesus because he wanted to know what he had to do to inherit eternal life.  This man had kept his life clean in many ways, but Jesus said he still lacked one thing – “Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

Wow – what a statement!  Before you dismiss what Jesus said and think its crazy talk, or even sell all you have, you have to understand that this story isn’t primarily about money.  Giving to the needy and showing compassion should definitely be ingrained in the life of a Christian, but that’s not what he’s saying.

Here’s how this man responds to Jesus’ statement – Verse 23 says, “When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth.”  Now the text doesn’t say whether or not this man eventually followed through on this, but it is definitely plausible to think this man walked back home because his wealth was very important to him – more than following God.  He wasn’t willing to sacrifice.

Some people aren’t willing to sacrifice a week of their summer to come on a mission trip.  Some people are willing to do that, but Jesus calls all of his followers to much more than a week.  It’s a higher calling.  It’s a calling to sacrifice your life!  Before you say no problem, really think about it.  Would you really be willing to do that?

What’s holding you back from going all in for Jesus?  Family, job, activities, money, etc.  If someone were to look at your life, would they be able to see a difference?  Would they see a person who sacrifices for the one who paid the ultimate sacrifice?