"...the rich young ruler is one of the last few specific people Jesus met on his way to Jerusalem. As he left Ephraim where he had fled with his disciples to avoid the attacks of the priests, he began to make his way to Jerusalem. On that journey toward the cross, the Scriptures record only five specific people interactions besides his disciples, Lazarus’ family, and the general crowds.
When you realize these people met Jesus on his way to the cross, their stories somehow mean more. In them I see that Jesus places emphasis on
- Healing the unclean
- Child-like humility and faith
- Full surrender and Abandonment
- Healing those who cannot see
- Rescuing the most despised
And all of these share the message of redemption, restoration, and relationship with God. Those are powerful messages on the way to the cross. If you also study the parables and teachings of Jesus in these final weeks, you also discover that some of the most important recorded teachings of Jesus were shared during this time. In the next few weeks we will look at some of them.
However, today, I felt my heart drawn to the story of the rich young ruler who was called to follow the way of the cross."
Pastor Rick shared a series of sermons with us this summer stating, "The Bible calls me and you to some of the hardest things I can think of doing. They are things that in many ways see impossible to do, to accomplish, or to live. I believe the Lord wants to talk with me and you about some of these 'Hard Things....'"
In this first message of the series, Pastor Rick focuses on "Take up the cross – Matthew 16:24" and illustrates some of this sermon with his experience of a recent climb of Sharp Top Mountain in Virginia.
