Jesus had been preaching in Judea on a particular day. He had just finished blessing a few children when a young man came running up to him.
"Master, Master, what can I do to have eternal life?" the young man asked.
"Keep My commandments," He told the young man.
"I have," the young man replied. "Ever since I was a child."
Jesus looked at the young man who was standing before Him, and He felt great love and compassion for Him. Think of your best friend; that is how Jesus felt towards this man. He loved him.
"There is one thing you have not done for Me," Jesus said quietly. "If you want to follow Me, you must go and sell everything you have. You must give it all to the poor. If you give up your treasure on earth, you shall have treasure in heaven. You must take up your cross and follow Me."
"Oh, but Master, I have so much. How can I sell everything I own?" The young man cried, and he went away, disappointed at what Jesus had asked him to do. Jesus looked around to His disciples who were standing there.
"It is very hard for those who have riches on earth to enter the Kingdom of Heaven," He told them. The disciples looked to one another, quite confused. "You must put your trust in God, not in your money," Jesus explained.
"How can this be?" The disciples asked each other. "Who could possibly be saved then?"
"It is not possible for a man who trusts in his money to enter My Kingdom," Jesus replied. "But if you trust God instead, and leave all your riches for Me, you shall be saved. Whatever you leave on earth, you will receive a hundred times as much."
Christ calls us to sacrifice for His Kingdom. No thing is too great to sacrifice for God! We are all called to lay down our lives for Him. Jesus asks us to give up everything, take up our crosses, and follow Him. A small sacrifice you can make for Him is to be kind when you want to be angry, or to lend a friend or family member a helping hand even when you are feeling tired.
What sacrifices are you willing to make for Christ?
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