Two rich men and their wealth but with different outcomes.

‘What are you looking for?” Asked the mother of a teenager as he gazed into the stocked refrigerator but then went and took a packet of chips from the cupboard. This is a reminder that instead of seeking frivolous things it is the Lord who should be sought. In these passages we see two rich men who met with Jesus but the outcomes were very different from one another.

The rich young ruler asked ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus gently shows Him that the young man’s wealth was the thing that stood in his way.  His wealth had become an ‘idol’ which prevented him giving God the first place in his life. Repentance and faith go hand in hand. You cannot cling on to idols with one hand and the cross of Christ with the other.

Zacchaeus, another rich man, sought Jesus and climbed a tree so that he could see him when he passed by. Jesus said to him ‘I must stay at your house today’. Zacchaeus’ response is very instructive. He said that if he had defrauded anyone he would pay them back fourfold and that he would give half his possessions to the poor. Here we see repentance. He was truly trusting in the Lord. Jesus says in response … ‘Today salvation has come to this house.’