Luke 18:18-30 The Needle’s Eye
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: October 22, 2018 Luke 18:18-30
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.” When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” And Peter said, “See, we have left our homes and followed you.” And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.”
(Understanding the Text) Jesus was not saying that He should not be called good. Instead, He was trying to get the young man to think about what being “good” meant. The young man’s ideas of “good” were shallow and external. Jesus wanted him to consider the depth of what being good was. The young man was not good in the way God is good. Jesus held up the ten commandments as the standard for being good. The young man’s quick answer shows that he only understood the surface meaning of the commands.
Now Jesus got to the core of the young man’s issues. Satan accused Job of following God because of his easy life. This was not true of Job, but it was true of the young man. He was “good” simply because he was a compliant child and had “good” parents and a “good” upbringing. Jesus asked him to step out of that and take the next step in following God for himself. On the other hand, Jesus said that it is difficult for a rich person to follow God, so in a way the young man’s “hedge” around his life was actually a barrier to him being close to God. What Jesus was asking went totally against what the rabbis of the day would ask. Eidersham says “Rabbinism had never asked this; if it demanded almsgiving, it was in odious boastfulness; while it was declared even unlawful to give away all one’s possessions – at most, only a fifth of them might be dedicated.”
(Understanding the Text / Revelation of God) Jesus said that it is almost impossible for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God and then said that with God all things are possible. Whether we are rich or poor, we will not enter the kingdom unless we see our need of God and depend solely on Him. Then, we will enter the kingdom whether we are rich or poor. Eidersham has hope for the rich young ruler. “And so, with clouded face he gazed down into what he lacked – within; but also gazed up in Christ on what he needed. And, although we hear no more of him, who that day went back to his rich home very poor, because ‘very sorrowful,’ we cannot but believe that he, whom Jesus loved, yet found in the poverty of earth the treasure of heaven.”
(Understanding the Text) I contrast this young man with the story of Elisha’s calling. “So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen in front of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and cast his cloak upon him. And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, “Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?” And he returned from following him and took the yoke of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the yokes of the oxen and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and went after Elijah and assisted him” (1Ki 19:19-21). The rich young ruler refused to leave his riches to follow God. Elisha sacrificed the oxen he was using to God and left everything to follow Elijah. Elisha was also from a well-to-do family; after all, he had twelve yoke of oxen plowing. Jesus promises that if we follow Him, we will receive abundant blessings in this life. I don’t believe He was speaking of prosperity here. I think He was speaking of satisfaction and love.
(Application / Prayer) My application for myself is I cannot be self-satisfied. I must depend on Jesus for my happiness and satisfaction in life. I must trust God to bless me. With You all things are possible. Bring me through that eye of the needle into communion with You always.