“EAGERNESS”

16 And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”

Matthew 19:16

What does it truly mean to be ‘born again’? Is it just about believing in God and going to church? Is it about doing good? What are good works in the context of salvation? Are they just requirements or signs? And what are the signs of a genuine Christian conversion?

The Book of Matthew is the first Gospel in the NT and the fortieth book of the Bible. Documented by Matthew (Levi), one of Jesus’ disciples and renowned as the “Apostles,” the book was intended for a mixed audience, yet it exhibits an obvious Jewish perspective. Matthew portrays Jesus as Israel’s long-awaited King, descended from the royal lineage of David. Furthermore, he presents Jesus as the Christ (Messiah).

In chapter 19:16-30, Matthew narrates Jesus’ conversation with a man inquiring about eternal life. Jesus establishes a standard of goodness, suggesting that individuals should adhere to all the commandments. When the man asserts that he has fulfilled this requirement, Jesus challenges him to relinquish his wealth and follow Him. This bold challenge unveiled the true nature of the man’s heart and, consequently, the priorities of most contemporary individuals.

In this series of blogs, I’ll give you three things a born-again Christian understands and believes.

1. The Goodness of God

This passage is also found in Mark 10 and Luke 18. A man comes to Jesus. He is described in three ways:

• young (verse 20)
• wealthy (verse 22)
• ruler (Luke 18:18)

With these descriptions, the man should be commended for publicly coming to Christ. During that time, the wealthy and influential were prevented from communicating with Jesus. We can surmise that this man was genuine and had no hidden agenda. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have risked being excommunicated from the synagogue or the ruling party.

With that in mind, having a genuine desire to know Jesus is the initial step towards being born again. One must realize his spiritual bankruptcy to understand his absolute need for the Savior. I must emphasize that without this fervent eagerness to know Jesus, we are light-years away from reaching heaven. In certain regions, mere possession of the Bible is considered a criminal offense, which is why numerous Christians have been put behind bars. However, they are not particularly bothered by being apprehended for reading their Bibles. For them, knowing Jesus is worth risking it all.

How about you, my friend? How eager are you to know Jesus? How much time do you spend reading your Bible? Over the next few blogs, let me take you on a spiritual adventure and learn from this encounter between Jesus and this rich, young ruler.

Pursue the Savior today!

Photo by Brad Switzer on Unsplash