This week’s story works on two levels. On one level, it is an easily accessible story of reversal – the rich (or self-reliant!) becomes poor and the poor becomes rich. On a second level, it communicates the great Christian truth that Jesus (who is rich while being completely God-reliant) becomes poor so the poor (or incapable, helpless, deficient, needy) might be rich on account of him. And this second level is why we can say this is “Not Just Another Story!”
Questions:
- The passage communicates that cheer and splendor resulting from self-reliance impedes our looking to God for help. In a spiritual sense, have you abandoned the belief that you are capable and self-reliant to secure your intended hopes and dreams for the future–that, truly, you need to be “helped by God”?
- Can we identify 1 or 2 areas where it would bless (y)our souls to be carried by Christ across the chasm from self-reliance to God’s presence?
