Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I write this as packing the house begins to subtly turn from top-priority to impending emergency. My wife has expressed that maybe we could just throw all of our stuff away instead and buy everything anew when we get back down to the seminary. We’ve forgotten all the things that we’ve accumulated over just the past year, notably a lot of baby things like a crib, toys, and clothes. But it’s a time to consider what is important and what can be thrown away.
I’d consider Jesus’ encounter with the rich young man. The man, seeking eternal life, tells Jesus that he’s kept the commandments from his youth. And Jesus, out of love, tells him that he’s lacking one thing. Maybe more accurately, it’s not a matter of lack but of abundance. Jesus tells him to sell all that he has and give it to the poor, then he will have treasure in heaven.
Now, wealth isn’t necessarily evil. It can be a blessing from God, or it can be a curse. But the point is that the rich young man held his wealth in his heart. It was the object of his desire more so than God, and if anything, eternal life would just be another jewel added to his treasury. Life in Christ and the blessings of heaven though are the only true and lasting treasure. And when other things impede that, they need to get tossed out.
Holly and I are holding onto a lot of stuff, but some things we’ve had to make the hard decision to part ways with. Often times going back and forth over items. Wondering where it might go in our next home, which box it will fit in, or maybe it would look best in the dumpster. But it isn’t a simple box to check. It’s a process.
And our life in Christ is a process. Not a simple box that is checked. Not a quick dunk in the baptismal font. But a process. As long and drawn out as God gives us days to live. And we have many things before us. Riches, like those of the rich young man, that impede us on our way to the heavenly Jerusalem as well as blessings that enrich us on our journey.
It’s more than just a matter of material things too. Habits that we cultivate, relationships that we have with others, and attitudes that we carry with us. As Holly and I, at the time of writing this, are physically packing things to keep and deciding what to toss, I’d encourage you to do so spiritually. Consider what you should keep that enriches you on your heavenward journey and what is left to be swallowed up with the rest of the earth.
Things such as spending too much time on your phone can be a habit that is tossed. While waking up early to pray and do a devotion is something to start, keep, or enrich further. The negative attitude that you hold towards that person that annoys you at work is something that you can start trying to toss out. These are a few examples, but the call of Christ is comprehensive and challenges us to examine our lives as a whole. To challenge us to live in such a way that draws us nearer to him, and farther from the world. To challenge us to look forward more to the new heavens and the new earth than the next new hit film.
And as we part ways, I thank you for your prayers and kindness this past year. It has been a blessing to be here with you and I hope that I have been able to be a blessing to you as well. And I look forward to seeing you again, yes here on earth, but more importantly in our heavenly home where our Lord Jesus has called us.
God’s Blessings,
Vicar Lewis