goldenspines wrote:Its only stealing if you don't get caught.
TopazRaven (post: 1459473) wrote:From what I understand Jesus was talking about people of his time who where to literally follow him. You didn't need your belongings when you where with Jesus, so they have should given them to people who did need it.
K. Ayato (post: 1459498) wrote:I agree with what Hansha said. Also, after the young man claimed to have kept the commandments since his youth (which is impossible), he asked "What do I lack?". In recent years I've looked at this passage with the idea that this rich young man wanted to get eternal life the easy way. To me, Jesus was driving home the point that following Him wasn't going to be easy (remember he said the Son of man has no place to lay His head) and that it came with a cost.
uc pseudonym (post: 1460078) wrote:I wouldn't condemn anyone for giving a good answer to the question and a legitimate interpretation of the passage. However, I am always bothered by how quickly Christians rush to address verses like this. Because most of us are rich on a world scale and we don't want to change. We're comfortable with the religion we have (whether or not we want to call it a religion) and like the rich young ruler we want that to be enough.
This passage isn't usually interpreted as being a literal command for us, sure. I am much less sympathetic with anyone who wants to explain away Luke 6:24, for one example. And I at least do not feel comfortable when I read the parable in Matthew 25:31-46 because I know how many are hungry or thirsty or a stranger and I have done little to help them.
So no, I'm not saying everyone needs to sell everything and give to the poor. The world needs ethical businesspeople more than it needs saints. But I think when we rush to reassure ourselves that of course Jesus wasn't talking to us and of course we don't need to give up anything, we become the rich young ruler in this passage. Except we walk away happy, convinced of our righteousness instead of shown our guilt.
fermy6 (post: 1460070) wrote:Lets not forget that after Jesus said its easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter Heaven....
Furen wrote:Extra little fact here, when Jesus said the eye of a needle, he wasn't talking about a sewing needle (which many including myself have thought) but rather a hole in a wall somewhere in Israel (Jerusalem in fact), this "Eye of the needle" was a small path where camels could indeed squeeze through, but it was much harder for them than people as the people are thinner than the camels.
Furen (post: 1460206) wrote:
As for the sign about idols question:
1. You start thinking about it at any given moment and everything can be related to it
2. It starts becoming all you think about
3. You don't want to do anything but _________ (said task)
4. You get defensive and say stuff like "I can quit any time I like." when you know you can't
There's more things, but that's the ones to show you're overboard.
Furen (post: 1460206) wrote:
As for the sign about idols question:
1. You start thinking about it at any given moment and everything can be related to it
2. It starts becoming all you think about
3. You don't want to do anything but _________ (said task)
4. You get defensive and say stuff like "I can quit any time I like." when you know you can't
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