Week 40 - September 29- October 5, 2024

This week’s daily readings:

This week’s devotional:

What Can I Do?

by Sue Hersey

Scripture:

Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

— Matthew 19:16 (NIV)

Reflection:

As humans, aren’t we all so proud of our own accomplishments, even from an early age? I remember back when I was 4 or 5 years old – before I ever started kindergarten – I attended a family get-together where I met up with my cousin, Pam. She and I were roughly the same age. We hadn’t seen each other for a while, so I was anxious to tell her the proud news that I had recently learned to write my name. She digested that news for a minute, admitting that she had not yet learned that skill, but quickly adding that she knew how to whistle. I could not. Neither one of us was sure who had the greater accomplishment, so there was envy on both our parts! 

In the Gospel passage above, Jesus meets a man who seems already quite accomplished in his own mind, but unsure of his salvation. He seeks Jesus’ advice on what to add to his laundry list of things he ought to do. The man figures there must be some further tasks he can take on that would clinch the deal. This is a common misconception (even among Christians, who should know better) that we can earn our own salvation somehow. In the spirit of obedience to God, we may have publicly confessed that Jesus is our Savior. We may have been baptized. Hopefully, we have admitted our failures, laid them at the foot of the cross, and turned from sin, vowing to live our lives in obedience to God. We may diligently stick to this Bible Reading Plan and commit ourselves to praying regularly. All those are good things, but they are NOT steps to salvation – they are the results of knowing we are saved!

Jesus knows this man’s heart, and so he doesn’t give him the kind of answer he had come for. We find a truthful answer later on in the Bible (see Acts 16:30-31) in the story of the Philippian jailer who asked Paul and Silas, “What must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” The truth is that no one can enter the Kingdom of God except through the work of Jesus on the cross. It’s not what we do, but who we are. We need to be humble like a little child and to accept that Jesus has already done all the work by paying the price for our sin. By believing in that one loving and selfless act, our sins no longer exist, and that is what qualifies us for eternal life. If we must add anything to our “to do” list, let it be believing in the Lord!

Prayer: 

Lord, I’m so grateful for your love that sent Jesus to die for my sins! I understand that was a gift of grace – one that I cannot repay. Forgive me if I get hung up on my own accomplishments. Still, I look to you and your Holy Spirit for guidance. Let me know if there is anything I should do, in return. I long to serve your Church and to get to know you more, and I offer myself in humble obedience to you, in Jesus’ righteous name. Amen