Letting go…
Passage (NIV): Matthew 19:16-30
Preacher: Mark Kingston
When something is still missing
Have you ever thought you’d be content once you had a bit more money, got that job, or finally sorted something out, only to get there and find yourself still wanting something more? Sometimes we get what we were looking for and discover it hasn’t settled what was bothering us.
That’s what makes the young man’s question to Jesus in Matthew 19 so familiar. He has money, he’s tried to live well, and yet he asks, “What do I still lack?” Something is missing, and having more hasn’t helped him find it.
That longing can be a good sign, because it exposes the limits of what we’re relying on. Money can pay the bills, but it can’t tell us what our lives are for. Success can bring recognition without settling whether we’re enough. The ache remains because we’re asking these things to give us something we need from God.
When money becomes a master
Elsewhere, Jesus speaks about money as a rival master, calling it “mammon”. Money can help us care for ourselves and others, but our relationship with it changes when we depend on it for our significance and security. It becomes a kind of money-god, able to hold us tightly without ever making us whole.
When Jesus tells this man to give his possessions to the poor and follow him, he is confronting the master that holds him and inviting him into freedom. Sadly, the man walks away with money still on the throne and the ache still there.
A new beginning is possible
The disciples are shaken, but Jesus tells them that what is impossible for people is possible with God. We need his help even to loosen our grip. There’s a pattern here: our ache brings us to Jesus, and he identifies something we’ve come to depend on too heavily. He invites us to let go, and with his help, we can choose a new beginning.
Where saying yes can lead
We shouldn’t underestimate where saying yes might lead. Peter left his fishing, Matthew his tax collection business, and Simon his Zealot agenda and methods. Each gave up something that had shaped his identity and his expected future.
But look at what they received in exchange. Peter became a leader of the early church, Matthew became a Gospel writer, and Simon became an apostle, serving alongside people he might once have opposed. Following Jesus, they found a purpose and a life together they could never have imagined. Perhaps the longing we wish would go away is where a new chapter with God begins.
Reflection Questions
Notice the longing
Do you recognise the young man’s feeling that something is still missing, despite all he has? Take a moment to notice any similar longing in yourself, even if life looks good on the outside. You don’t need to explain it yet; simply tell Jesus it’s there.Name your reliance
What have you been relying on to give you the sense that you’re okay? For this man, it was his wealth. For you, it might be money, achievement, appearance or someone’s approval. Tell Jesus honestly what you’ve been hoping it would give you.Recognise its hold
How would you feel if Jesus asked you to let go of what you’ve been relying on? The young man went away sad because his wealth had such a hold on him. As you imagine letting go, notice what you’re afraid you would lose along with it, such as your security, your sense of worth or other people’s respect. That can help you see what you’ve been trusting it to provide.Listen to Jesus
As you bring all this to Jesus, what might he be inviting you to do? Make some quiet space to listen, remembering that his invitation to the young man was to leave something behind and follow him. You don’t have to work out the whole future or find the strength by yourself. Ask him to help you recognise his invitation and trust him enough to respond.Share the journey
Who could you share this with as you begin to say yes to Jesus? Think of someone you trust who will listen, pray with you and support you as you take the next step. You don’t have to figure it all out or walk through it alone.
