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Intro Question: (to get people talking)

If you had one million dollars given to you today. And you had to spend it (can’t give it to family, charity or church) what would be the first thing you would buy?

READ MATTHEW 19:16-30

16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”

18 “Which ones?” he inquired.

Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,’[a] and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’[b]”

20 “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”

21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”

26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

27 Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”

28 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife[c] or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.

Discuss:

1. What stands out do you from the passage?

2. Do you find Jesus’ initial answer in verse 17 to be surprising?

3. Read Exodus 20:1-3 (the first of the 10 commandments)

20 And God spoke all these words:
2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
3 “You shall have no other gods before me.

How does this commandment help us understand why Jesus instructs this man to sell everything he has and give it to the poor?

4. Why do you think Jesus singles out the rich in verse 23?

5. Flick back to Matthew 18:3-4. How is the rich young mans response contrasted with that of a child?

6. Why is verse 26 good news?

7. What reason does Jesus give to say that it is worth following him even if it is costly? Do you find this reason compelling? Why/ why not?

Application (in pairs or small groups)

1. As you think about how you use money (or daydream about using money), what does it show about what you treasure most?
(could give the examples of comfort, approval, control & power as the things we lean toward)

2. Do you have a practice of giving money away, (to the poor, to expanding the, to the church), is this something you need to work on?

Pray