“The people assembled with fasting and sackcloth…and they stood and confessed their sin…and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God…and worshiped” – Nehemiah 9:1-3
“And as He (Jesus) was setting out on His journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him and asked, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus said, ‘You know the commandments; do not murder, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’ And he said to him, ‘Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.’ And Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, ‘You lack one thing; go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.’ Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” – Mark 10:17-22
The time of Ezra and Nehemiah was a time of revival and return for the people of God. The vision of Nehemiah and the rediscovery of the Law of God had reminded them of who they were and called them back to their loving Father. After hearing Ezra read the Law, they realized how far they had wandered from God’s design. They had not kept the Law and had fallen “short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). This revelation led them to repentance. A turning away from their sin and returning to God…a reconciliation…a homecoming.
The Law of God is a powerful thing in Scripture. It’s purpose is to give us direction and guidance, but many times it brings frustration as we come face to face with our weaknesses and shortcomings. Honestly, one could easily come to the conclusion…”If this is what it takes to get eternal life I am in big trouble!” Actually, the Scripture tells us that this is also part of the purpose of the Law…to show us our inability to follow all that God demands. In other words, we are in big trouble.
Like the people in Ezra’s day, our only option is to fall down before our holy God and ask for mercy. Now it gets personal. We know that we can’t meet the requirements. The Law comes to guide and reveal our condition but it does not come to save. We know that we are sinners so we come not by the Law but by relationship.
“Yes, Lord, I have wandered and followed my own way. Yes, I have failed to live up to your standards. The truth is, I will never be able to. But, I love you and cannot live without you. I also know from the beginning that you love me too. Please forgive me.”
This is the plea of a child returning to a Father, not a slave meeting a requirement.
This is illustrated in the above encounter with Jesus. A man asked Jesus about eternal life. Jesus says, “You know the commandments”. The man responds by saying that he has kept the commandments (good for him) but Jesus tells him that there is still one thing that he lacks. Can you imagine working hard and living a good life and still missing eternity by “ONE THING”?
What is the one thing? Jesus answers by giving several things actually. Sell your possessions…give to the poor…and follow me. Is Jesus bad at math or could these three things come down to “one” thing? Could it be that Jesus is saying that it is not about religion, it’s about relationship? Do you love me? Do we love Him more than anything else (possessions)? Do we love Jesus so much it affects how we treat others (the poor)? Do we love Jesus so much that we will follow Him?
Keeping the commandments is good, but it cannot save us. Jesus said that He came to fulfill the Law (Matthew 5:17). On the cross He did what the Law could not do. He fulfilled the requirements of the Law for us in order that we might have life and be free to love Him with all our hearts without fear of condemnation. Our salvation comes through knowing Jesus, not the Law!
Wow! What a story!