Saint Mark Daily Lenten Devotional – March 26, 2015

by Bob Brown

Scripture: Mark 10: 17-31

And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”  Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

I have heard this passage many times but know for a fact, that I could not sell all of my stuff.  I recently read a sermon on this topic and the author concluded with: If you want to follow Jesus, it’s going to be costly.

But I would offer that there are various forms of possessions. Aside from material possessions, there is the possession of talent – that God-given ability to paint, sing, lead and even preach.  And there is the possession of time, that period set aside after work.

You can use these possessions to benefit and glorify God.  You could volunteer once a month and serve the homeless/under-employed through the Breakfast or Supper Clubs; you could take one week of your vacation time and volunteer for a mission trip to Honduras or the Appalachian Mountains; you could give one Friday evening a month to Lost and Found Youth to assist getting LGBT youth off of the streets; you could become a volunteer to package meals with Project Open Hand.  The possibilities are endless and the rewards are priceless.

As you are sitting reading this, either at your computer or in a comfortable chair, look around and think about what possessions you have that you can “liquidate.”

Prayer: My father, you have given me so much and I admit that I have taken it all for granted.  Forgive me and open my heart and eyes to what I can do in your name for those I come in contact with each day. Amen.

Saint Mark United Methodist Church