“Time To Sell What’s Left”

It’s been a bit since I published my last BLOG. I have started several but decided not to finish them…they just didn’t seem to hit the mark. Yet I decided to publish a brief one today as I read the familiar gospel passage from Matthew 13. 

Jesus said to his disciples: “The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that hehas and buys that field. Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that hehas and buys it.” (Mt. 13:44-46)

This passage caught my eye many years ago… selling all for the kingdom of God. Christ is worth selling all; yet it’s often not clear how to do this… what should I sell… what about my responsibilities? I believe that the Lord will show us how to respond to this invitation if we but continue to strive. He will give us opportunities and the grace to respond. I know he has given me many opportunities over these past years. 

I believe that we are all, at times, like the rich young ruler who the Lord gazed upon with love. (Mt. 19:16) We are given opportunities to “sell all for the kingdom of God”. The Lord captured my heart many years ago. From that moment, I knew that I wanted to serve him. I wanted to do his will. I wanted to be with him. Certainly my response to this invitation has been spotty, up and down, some wonderful successes and yet many failures and disappointments. Yet, he has never let go of my heart.

Even now as I approach the autumn of life, where I can begin to see the end, I want to “sell what’s left”for the kingdom of God. I’ve still hoarded too many things for myself…. it’s time to clean house … it’s time to “sell what’s left” for the sake of the kingdom. Yet I know that I need the Lord’s merciful grace in order to do this. Oh Lord, help me to not cling to what’s left… “ to give away what I can’t keep in order to gain what I can’t lose”.

Selling all for the kingdom of God is not a burden or trial or sorrow…it’s a JOY…..a GREAT JOY. I’m so happy that the Lord helped me to “sell a lot” for the kingdom of God over these years. I’m so happy that he gave me a holy wife who shared this desire and these decisions over our 55 years. I’m so happy he gave be fellow travelers who supported me and helped me.

So opportunities still await. There is still time for each of us to “find the pearl of great price, and to go and sell all that we have and buy it.” And that is very good news.