It was on this night that my son no longer just listened and learned, but also shared his own responses. I will share them in the same way he shared with me. He is currently 9 and his responses will follow mine.
The passage I read was Mark 10:17-22
You can find that passage here:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+10%3A17-22&version=NIV
My summary of the passage is this:
A man expressed his desire to get eternal life. After he expressed this to Jesus, Jesus asked him if he knew the commands and then he listed 6 commands prohibiting wrong actions and attitudes against others. The man said he had followed all these commands. Jesus knew that there was an obstacle in the man’s path to Heaven. The man valued his riches even more than a relationship with Christ and thus He told the man to go and sell all his belongings and then to come back and follow him. The man was sad cuz he was very wealthy.
My son's summary:
A man went up to Jesus and said how can I go to Heaven. The man called Jesus good teacher. And Jesus said no one is good except God. Jesus said go sell all your stuff and then come follow me, and the man walked away sad because the man cared about his money more than Jesus.
As I reflect:
To say that the world puts their possessions before God is an understatement. This is something that most Christians know. I believe what I can take from this is a reminder that Christians also have this same struggle often. It is sometimes hard to take time out of the day to do a Bible study. It shouldn’t be…. But it is sometimes a chore. We need to get back to the basics here and remember what our walk is all about. It’s not about our job, our favorite tv show or having a brew with the neighbor. It’s about Jesus. If we can remember at all times to keep Him the center of our lives and put nothing before Him, than we too should have this “treasure in heaven” that Jesus spoke of to the man. We too, are offered an eternal gift of Christ’s presence if we will but persevere and keep our eyes on him. Let’s remember not to let our daily routines get between us and the Lord’s will for us. Put God first, and everything else will follow.
My son's reflection:
We are like that man. People are. People like their stuff more and don’t read the Bible. So we should be sure that we read the Bible every day so we know what Jesus is saying. Tell other people about Jesus. Show them Jesus is more important than our stuff.
My response to the Lord:
Dear Lord, I am sorry. I apologize to Your Highness. For I have sinned against you far too often in placing things before you. You are worth so much more than just the short times in a day that I spend speaking to you or learning your Word. I do have a desire to spend more time with you, but admit that my flesh is often very weak and falls into the distractions of this world. Lord, I have dedicated myself to you time and time again, that you would simply use me as you will. However, I fail often in being useful as I am not focusing on you. Help my spiritual ADHD that I may keep you at the center of everything I am living for. Lord, guide and convict me through your Holy Spirit daily to keep my eyes on you and not get side tracked in the darkened world. In Jesus name.
My son's response:
Dear Lord, please help us get into your word more often so we don’t be like that man. And, help people by giving away our stuff. Amen
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