I’m preparing the message for this upcoming Sunday on the the Spiritual Discipline of Simplicity. Sometimes a message almost writes itself. This is not one of those times. This time I’m wrestling with the passage…and might be losing (okay, maybe not, but that’s how it has felt at times). I don’t mind the times when I wrestle with the message. It should probably be that way more often than not. It shouldn’t be easy. I need to be listening more to what God has to say and what Scripture says instead of what I want to say.

So I’m wrestling. And God is doing His thing (as He always does).

In the midst of this process God has challenged be beyond the main point of the sermon. It has stopped me in my tracks. To beat the metaphor into a bloody pulp, I’m personally wrestling with something Jesus says…no, commands…in the Scripture passage I’m using for this Sunday’s sermon.

I can’t get away from it. I can’t explain it away. I wish I could, but I can’t. Here’s the verse that is haunting me:

Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it. (Luke 12:33, NLT)

I’ve read this passage many times. I’ve heard sermons about it. I’ve studied it. But it’s new to me today…and I can’t get away from this one little sentence: “Sell your possessions and give to those in need.” Really? Sell my possessions and give the proceeds away? Good sentiment, but really?

Yes, really.

I’ve done my word studies. I’ve read commentaries. I’ve prayed over this. All in the hopes that God would let me off the hook here. He can’t really expect me to sell my stuff and give it to someone else who is in need. Right?

Wrong.

He expects exactly that. And it’s not the first time Jesus makes such an insane command. He even made this direct command to the Rich Young Ruler in Mark 10:17-21. He tells this guy that if he’s serious about getting eternal life he needs to sell his stuff and follow Jesus. And He meant it. The dude won’t do it…and walks away from Jesus. He may have been trying to call Jesus’ bluff, but Jesus wasn’t bluffing. He lets the dude walk away. He was dead serious.

The Disciples even reacted to the outlandish nature of what Jesus told this man. I’m paraphrasing, but it went something like: “Wow…that’s harsh! If that’s the expectation then who can be saved?” And Jesus doesn’t argue the point, He simply says that anything is possible with God (whole other message there). If money has our heart then there’s simply no room for God. That’s easier for me to swallow, it’s all about my attitude about money. But Jesus still meant what He said…He still said to sell and give.

So what do I do with this? Good question. For now, I wrestle and pray some more…