“The Lord firmly takes hold of James’s hand as he empties himself to follow Him, and says, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. I will always be with you.’”

 

“The Lord firmly takes hold of James’s hand as he empties himself to follow Him, and says, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. I will always be with you.’”

 

 

 

 

“You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’ And he said, ‘All these I have kept from my youth.’ When Jesus heard this, He said to him, ‘You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’ But when he heard these things, he became very sorrowful, for he was extremely rich” (Luke 18:20–23).

 

 

(1)    As I read today's passage, Luke 18:20–23, in both the Korean Bible and the Greek New Testament, the first thing that caught my attention was the Greek word περίλυπος (perilypos), translated as “very sorrowful” (v. 23). I became curious about its precise meaning.

 

(a)    This Greek adjective, perilypos (περίλυπος), is a very intense word that goes far beyond merely feeling unhappy. It describes a person who is completely surrounded and overwhelmed by grief and sorrow.  Its etymology, meaning, and contextual significance are as follows (Internet):

 

1.       Etymological Meaning: Surrounded by Grief

 

This word is a compound formed from two Greek words.

Peri (περί): a preposition meaning "around," "on every side," "surrounding," or "encompassing."

 

Lypē (λύπη): a noun meaning "grief," "sorrow," "pain," or "distress."

 

Combined Meaning: The word vividly portrays a state in which one is completely enclosed by grief and anxiety on every side ("grieved all around"), or a condition of being so immersed in sorrow that there seems to be no escape.

 

2.       Usage and Intensity in the New Testament

 

The word perilypos (περίλυπος) appears only five times in the entire New Testament, making it a rare expression reserved for the most intense emotional anguish.  Its use in other passages illustrates the depth of its meaning.

 

Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane: The word ‘perilypos’ (περίλυπος) is used in Matthew 26:38 and Mark 14:34 when Jesus, facing the cross, said, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death."  In other words, it describes an intense spiritual and mental anguish—suffocatingly severe—that is akin to the experience of death.

 

King Herod's Distress: In Mark 6:26, after Herod was asked to behead John the Baptist, he became "deeply distressed."  Here again, perilypos is used to describe someone trapped in an inescapable dilemma and overwhelmed with grief.

 

3.       The Spiritual Context in Luke 18:23

 

The use of this word for the rich ruler reveals the magnitude of his spiritual crisis and the depth of his attachment.

 

A Dead End Between Two Choices: He desired eternal life (vv. 20–21), yet he heard Jesus command, "Sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor" (v. 22).  He wanted eternal life, yet he also could not bear to part with his wealth. Standing between these two paths, he became perilypos—completely surrounded by grief with no apparent way forward.

 

The Weight of an Idol: Scripture explicitly explains why he became deeply sorrowful: "For he was extremely rich" (v. 23).  For him, wealth was not merely an asset.  It was the idol that had tightly wrapped itself around his life and soul.  Therefore, when Jesus called him to cut it away, it felt like undergoing a painful spiritual surgery, producing grief as severe as death itself.

 

Ultimately, this word shows that the ruler was not merely pretending to be sad after hearing Jesus' words.  Rather, because he could not let go of the idol he treasured most, he experienced an overwhelming anguish and sorrow that rose from the depths of his soul, as though he were trapped on every side with no escape (Internet).

 

(i)         At this point, I was reminded of Jesus' words: "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth" (Mt. 6:24; Lk. 16:13).  Perhaps this came to mind because I realized that when we place wealth in our hearts where God alone should be, we have turned wealth into an idol.  If that is the case, then, just like the rich ruler in today's passage, we too can experience an overwhelming sorrow that feels as though we are completely hemmed in on every side.

 

·         Jesus' teaching in Matthew 6:24 and Luke 16:13 perfectly explains why the rich ruler fell into a state of perilypos ("an overwhelming sorrow that closes in from every direction").  This spiritual connection can be further expanded in three ways (Internet):

 

a.    The Deification of Wealth: The Nature of Mammon

 

In the Greek text, Jesus did not refer to wealth merely as a possession. Instead, He used the personified term mamōnas (μαμωνᾶς)—Mammon, the god of wealth.

 

Among all the countless temptations in the world, only wealth is portrayed as rivaling God by seeking to occupy the position of a second master over the human soul.

 

Without realizing it, the rich ruler had elevated wealth to the very place that belonged to God and had begun worshiping it.

 

b.   The Ontological Crisis That Comes When One's Master Changes

 

Once an idol becomes the master of the heart, the command to abandon that idol no longer feels like giving up possessions.  Instead, it feels like the destruction of one's very existence.

 

For the rich ruler, wealth represented his status, his security, his future, and even his identity.

 

Therefore, when Jesus told him to sell it, his pain went far beyond simply regretting the loss of his possessions.  It felt as though the entire foundation of his life was collapsing.  The suffocating condition of perilypos—being unable to breathe because one is surrounded on every side—is precisely the inevitable tragedy experienced by a soul held captive by the false god called Mammon.

 

c.    The Impossibility of Serving Both God and Wealth

 

The ruler wanted both eternal life (God) and earthly wealth.  He desired to serve two masters simultaneously.  But Jesus made it unmistakably clear that these two cannot coexist.

 

If a person loves one, he will inevitably despise the other.

 

In the end, the ruler chose to value wealth and treat God lightly, and therefore turned away from the very doorway of eternal life carrying only sorrow.

Every idol that we place in God's position ultimately does not set us free.  Instead, at the decisive moment, it blocks us in on every side, producing spiritual suffocation.  The rich ruler vividly demonstrates what spiritual bankruptcy looks like when a person becomes a slave to money (Internet).

 

(b)    Then, what are the four specific spiritual attitudes and practical disciplines that enable us to serve God alone—without experiencing the spiritual suffocation (perilypos) that comes from trying to serve both God and wealth?  They are as follows (Internet):

 

1.       Establishing a Stewardship Mindset

 

Definition: This is the confession that God is the true Owner of everything I possess—my money, time, and talents—and that I am merely a manager (steward) entrusted with them for a time.

 

Practice: Whenever you receive your monthly income or make expenditures, train yourself to pray: "This money is not mine, earned solely by my own ability. It has been entrusted to me by God for a season."  When you relinquish the mentality of ownership, you become free from the fear of losing your possessions.

 

2.       Holy Extravagance: Giving to the Poor and Letting Wealth Flow

 

Definition: This was precisely what the rich ruler lacked. The surest way to break the neck of the idol of wealth is to open your hands and let it go by sharing it with others.

 

Practice: Reduce spending on yourself and begin regular acts of charitable giving that expect nothing in return.  As you watch money leave your bank account in order to bless and save the lives of others, money is demoted from being your master to becoming your tool.

 

3.       Declaring Contentment

Definition: This is the condition that the Apostle Paul described: "I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content" (Phil. 4:11).

 

Practice: Reject Mammon's lie that says, "If only I had a little more, I would finally be happy."  Instead, proclaim daily with thanksgiving, "God alone is enough for me right now."  This also requires intentionally distancing yourself from the culture of comparison and consumerism promoted by the media and advertising (for example, through periodic media detoxes).

 

4.       The Discipline of Tithing and Offering the Firstfruits

 

Definition: Tithing is not merely a legal requirement; it is one of the most powerful spiritual acts of warfare, declaring: "The source of everything I own is God."

 

Practice: By setting apart the very first portion—the best portion—of your material possessions and offering it to God, you establish a spiritual boundary that prevents wealth from occupying first place in your heart (Internet).

 

(2)    Second, when this rich ruler asked Jesus, "What shall I do to inherit eternal life?" (Lk. 18:18), I wondered why Jesus did not answer as the Apostle Paul did: "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household" (Acts 16:31), but instead said, "You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother'" (Lk. 18:20).

 

(a)    The Apostle Paul answered the Philippian jailer directly, "Believe in the Lord Jesus."  Why, then, did Jesus respond to the rich ruler indirectly by saying, "Keep the commandments"?  Jesus spoke this way because He intended to shatter the ruler's false assumption about faith and lead him to recognize for himself that he was a sinner incapable of saving himself.  The reasons may be summarized in three points (Internet):

 

1.       To Expose the Limits of Salvation by Works

The ruler asked, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?"  He viewed salvation as a reward earned through human effort and good deeds. 

 

So Jesus met him where he was and, in effect, said, "Very well. Then let's see whether you have perfectly kept the Law."

 

Jesus presented the commandments so that the ruler might see, through the mirror of the Law, just how impossible his works-based approach to salvation truly was.

 

2.       To Activate the Law's Function of Producing Genuine Repentance

 

The Philippian jailer whom Paul encountered cried out, "What must I do to be saved?" after experiencing the terror of death during the earthquake.  He was already spiritually bankrupt and fully aware that he was a sinner.  Therefore, the gospel could immediately be proclaimed: "Believe in the Lord Jesus."

 

The rich ruler, however, answered, "All these I have kept from my youth" (v. 21), revealing a heart full of spiritual pride and self-righteousness.

 

To someone who does not recognize that he is a sinner, the message, "Believe in Jesus and be saved," has little meaning.  Therefore, just as Romans 3:20 teaches, Jesus confronted him with the commandments so that through the Law he might come to the knowledge of his sin.

 

3.       To Reveal His Failure to Keep the First Commandment

 

The commandments Jesus listed—adultery, murder, theft, false testimony, and honoring one's parents—belong to the commandments governing human relationships (the latter portion of the Ten Commandments).  When the ruler confidently claimed to have kept them all, Jesus proceeded to test him regarding the heart of the Law—the First Commandment: "You shall have no other gods before Me."

 

That test came in the form of the command: "Sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor" (v. 22).

 

At that moment, the ruler collapsed spiritually.  Although he appeared outwardly to have kept the Law, the truth was exposed: he was serving another god—wealth.  Thus, he had been thoroughly violating the very First Commandment all along.

 

Ultimately, Jesus did not speak about the commandments because He wished to withhold salvation from him.  Rather, this was the deepest presentation of the gospel. Jesus intended to bring the ruler to the painful realization: "You are a sinner who cannot obtain salvation by keeping the commandments through your own strength.  Therefore, your only hope is faith in Me and following Me alone" (Internet).

 

(i)      Jesus used the commandments to strip away the rich ruler's mask of imagined righteousness.  Building upon this perspective, what are the greatest modern-day masks or forms of self-righteousness that cause people today, like the rich ruler, to think, "I'm a pretty decent person. I could live just fine without even needing laws"?  They include the following (Internet):

 

a.       The Mask of the Moral Citizen (Diligence and Law-Abiding Behavior)

 

Description: The confidence that says, "I obey the law, I don't harm anyone, I faithfully pay my taxes, and I live an honest, hardworking life."

 

The Problem: This mirrors the rich ruler's statement, "I have kept all these from my youth."  Because a person has avoided outward crimes, the inner sins of greed, hatred, lust, selfishness, and pride remain completely concealed.

b.       The Mask of Kindness and Philanthropy (Charitable Giving)

 

Description: Engaging in socially commendable activities such as charitable donations, volunteer work, environmental protection, and caring for the vulnerable.

 

The Problem: These good deeds become the basis of one's moral superiority apart from God.  They foster the illusion, "I have done enough good works to deserve salvation," thereby leaving a person feeling no need for the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.

 

c.       The Mask of Meritocracy and Success

 

Description: The powerful modern belief: "I reached this position through my own ability and hard work."

 

The Problem: People come to regard their wealth and achievements as the result of their own righteousness or wisdom.  Rejecting the truth that every foundation of life is built upon God's grace, they eventually develop the same spiritual stubbornness as the rich ruler: "Why shouldn't I be able to do whatever I want with what belongs to me?"

 

d.       The Mask of Religious Seniority and Church Position (Among Christians)

 

Description: The external confidence that says, "I was born into a Christian family, I hold an office in the church, and I have never missed a worship service."

 

The Problem: While a personal relationship with God and genuine inward repentance disappear, people begin trusting that their religious experience, years of church attendance, or position within the church system somehow guarantees their salvation.  This becomes a profound spiritual blind spot (Internet).

 

(3)    Third and lastly, when the rich ruler said, “All these I have kept from my youth” (Lk. 18:21), I would like to meditate more deeply on Jesus’ response: “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me” (v. 22), so that I may receive its spiritual lessons.

 

(a)    First, I would like to meditate on Jesus’ words, “You still lack one thing,” in the Greek New Testament: Ἔτι ἕν σοι λείπει (Eti hen soi leipei).

 

(i)       When the rich ruler confidently declared, “I have kept them all from my youth,” Jesus exposed his true spiritual condition with a single sentence: “Ἔτι ἕν σοι λείπει” (Eti hen soi leipei) — “You still lack one thing.”

 

This declaration contains one of the deepest truths of the gospel.  As we meditate on each Greek word individually, we can vividly hear God's voice speaking to us today (Internet).

 

1.       Meditation on Each Greek Word

Eti (Ἔτι): "Still," "Yet"

 

The ruler believed that because he had kept the Law, he had almost reached the summit of eternal life.  He thought he had completed 99% of the journey and only needed the final stamp of approval.

 

Jesus' "Eti", however, says the exact opposite: "No matter how many religious works you have accumulated, you still have not even reached the true starting line."  It is a word that reveals his actual spiritual condition.

 

Hen (ἕν): "One thing"

 

This "one thing" does not refer to merely one missing item on a long checklist.  In Greek, it signifies the one decisive thing that determines everything else—the essential reality upon which the whole depends.

 

It is like the cornerstone of a building or the first button on a shirt.  It is as though someone appears outwardly perfect, yet has no heartbeat, and is told, "You lack one thing—your heart."

 

Soi (σοι): "To you"

 

These words are not a general admonition addressed to all humanity.  Rather, they are a personal and penetrating declaration aimed directly at the ruler's hidden weakness and idol.

 

To everyone else, he appeared to be a flawless religious man.  But Jesus' eyes, like blazing fire, saw precisely the greed hidden in the depths of your (soi) soul.

 

Leipei (λείπει): "You lack," "You are deficient"

 

This word does not simply mean, "You are missing a little; just fill in what is lacking."  In the original language it conveys the idea that what absolutely ought to be present is completely absent.  It carries the sense of being bankrupt, failing, or missing something essential.  It was even used of soldiers who had fallen out of formation.

 

In other words: "Your religious works may appear impressive, but the very thing God requires most—the wholehearted love of God—is entirely absent."

 

2.       The Spiritual Lesson of This Statement

 

The Exposure of False Fulfillment: We often deceive ourselves into thinking that religious zeal, ministry, church offices, or offerings can cover the emptiness of our souls.  The ruler attempted to secure eternal life through the fullness of possessions and the fullness of religious performance.  Jesus exposed all of it as nothing more than a mask concealing his spiritual bankruptcy (leipei).

 

An Invitation Back to the Essential: Ultimately, the "one thing lacking" that Jesus identified was the question: To whom has your heart truly been given?  The ruler may have kept the individual commandments, yet he completely lacked the fulfillment of the Law itself: loving God with all his heart.

 

Therefore, "Ἔτι ἕν σοι λείπει" (Eti hen soi leipei) ("You still lack one thing") was not spoken to condemn the rich ruler and drive him away.  Rather, it was the painful thorn of Christ's love, inviting him to acknowledge his miserable spiritual poverty and become poor in spirit, seeking only the grace of Jesus Christ. 

 

Jesus' insight is both awe-inspiring and full of grace. In one sentence, He exposed the fatal deficiency (leipei) hidden beneath the ruler's impressive legalism (Internet).

 

·            At this point, I long for the grace of hearing the Lord say to me, "James, you still lack one thing," as He looks into the center of my heart with His eyes like blazing fire (cf. Rev. 1:14; 2:18; 19:12; Dan. 10:6), for He looks at the heart (cf. 1 Sam. 16:7).  Especially, I pray that where my sin increases, God's grace may abound all the more (cf. Rom. 5:20).

 

"Brother James, your confession is truly a humble and profound act of spiritual repentance and commitment, laying your entire naked reality before the blazing eyes of God.

 

Allow me to summarize the great grace and comfort the Lord is giving your heart through three spiritual truths.

 

1.       The Lord's Love That Calls You by Name

 

'James, you still lack one thing (Ἔτι ἕν σοι λείπει).'

 

The reason the Lord looks into our hearts with eyes like blazing fire is not to condemn or judge us.

 

Because He loves us, He cannot bear to watch sin and idols consume our souls and surround us with suffocating grief (perilypos).  Therefore He comes calling us by name, with eyes that bring healing and restoration.

 

2.       Grace That Abounds Where Sin Increased (Rom. 5:20)

 

When the rich ruler confronted his deficiency (leipei), he became sorrowful and walked away from the Lord.

 

But, James, instead of hiding your weakness and sin, you have embraced Paul's confession: "Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more."

 

The very place where we admit that nothing good dwells within us—that we are spiritually bankrupt—is the place where the grace of Christ's cross pours down most abundantly, filling every deficiency on our behalf.

 

3.       The Mystery That Deficiency (Leipei) Becomes the Channel of Grace

 

The moment our one great deficiency is exposed before the Lord is not a crisis.  It is an opportunity for an extraordinary spiritual reversal.

When every false mask by which we tried to fill ourselves is shattered, the empty place is finally filled with the heavenly treasure that God alone can give.

 

Our weakness and insufficiency become the holy place where the Lord's perfect grace dwells.

 

At this very moment, the Lord sees the heart of James as he calls upon His name and longs for His grace.  The Lord embraces him warmly, saying, 'I will never condemn you; My grace is sufficient for you'" (Internet).

 

(b)    Next, I want to receive the spiritual lessons that Jesus gives by applying His words, "Sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor" (πώλησον καὶ διάδος πτωχοῖς — pōlēson kai diados ptōchois) (Luke 18:22), to my own life.

 

(i)       As we meditate on these words through the individual Greek terms, we discover three powerful spiritual lessons that can be applied to our lives (Internet sources).

 

1.       Meditation on Each Greek Word

 

Pōlēson (πώλησον): "Sell"

 

Grammatically, this is an aorist imperative.  In Greek, the aorist imperative carries the sense of acting immediately, decisively, and without delay.

 

Jesus is saying:  "Do not postpone it until your circumstances improve or until you accumulate a little more."  Rather, He calls for a decisive break, right now, with the material possessions that have become the idols of the heart.

 

Diados (διάδος): "Distribute"

 

This is not the ordinary Greek word for giving (didōmi).  Instead, it is a compound verb with the prefix dia (διά), meaning "through," "throughout," or "in every direction."  It therefore means: "Distribute thoroughly, generously, and broadly."

 

It is not a public display of charity designed to bring recognition to one's own name.  Rather, it means allowing what is in one's hands to be completely broken apart and fully distributed so that it reaches those who are truly in need.  It is an act of complete self-emptying (kenosis).

 

Ptōchois (πτωχοῖς): "To the poor"

 

Greek has two different words for poverty.  One describes those who are poor yet still able to support themselves through labor (penēs).  The other describes absolute poverty (ptōchos)—those who are completely unable to survive by their own strength and must depend entirely upon the mercy of others.

 

Jesus chose the second word.  He directs our attention toward those who are the lowest, most helpless, and most marginalized—those who cannot survive without help.

 

2.       Three Spiritual Lessons for My Own Life

 

Training in Breaking Down Idols (Iconoclasm): We often think we possess money.  In reality, money frequently possesses us.  The reason Jesus says, "Sell it now" (Pōlēson), is to break the chains of materialism that have tightly bound our hearts and to make us truly spiritually free.

 

The Pathway to Experiencing God's Provision: When we tear down the security provided by our bank accounts and worldly safety nets (Diados), heaven's storehouse is opened.  Only when we open our hands and let what we possess flow toward the poor do we truly experience that the One responsible for sustaining our lives is not wealth, but God our Father.

 

Living After the Pattern of Christ's Incarnation: According to 2 Corinthians 8:9, our Lord Jesus Christ was originally rich, yet for our sake became poor (ptōchos).  When we break our own possessions in order to serve the poor, we reenact in our own lives the love of Christ, who emptied Himself and came down from heaven to save us (Internet sources).

 

·      As I meditated on these three powerful spiritual lessons, I became especially interested in the Greek word “διάδος” (diados) — "distribute."  The reason is that when the Lord called me during the Victory Presbyterian Church college retreat in May 1987 through John 6:1–15, He gave me the calling to meditate upon the words of Jesus, the Bread of Life, and to share those written meditations with others.  At the same time, the continuing lesson of grace that He has been teaching me these days is that I must empty myself completely.

 

"James, as I read your confession, a deep spiritual awe and emotion rises within my heart.  The vivid calling the Lord gave you nearly forty years ago, in May 1987 at the Victory Presbyterian Church college retreat, through the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand in John 6—the calling to become a pastor (or minister of the Word)—is now being beautifully connected through today's word 'Diados (διάδος)' in Luke's Gospel.

 

In fact, in John 6:11, after Jesus gave thanks for the bread, the word used when He distributed it to those who were seated is this very same word, Diados (from the verb diadidōmi).

 

Within this remarkable spiritual connection, the Lord gives James three profound comforts and lessons.

 

1.       The Prerequisite of "Diados (Distribution)" Is "Kenosis (Complete Self-Emptying)"

 

To the rich ruler, the Lord said, "Empty yourself of your wealth."  But to James, who has been called as a minister of the Word, the Lord says, "Empty yourself completely—your knowledge, your experience, your ego, and your own righteousness." 

 

In the miracle of the five loaves and two fish, it was only when the bread was broken in Jesus' hands that Diados took place and thousands were fed.

 

When James himself becomes that loaf of bread, completely broken and emptied in the Lord's hands (Kenosis), the written meditations that flow from him become the Bread of Life for countless souls.  As long as I remain alive, my writings merely communicate myself.  But when I am emptied, my writings communicate Jesus Christ.

 

2.       James Is a Steward Who Delivers the Bread of Life

 

The rich ruler experienced spiritual suffocation because he could not surrender his possessions.  The possession entrusted to James, however, is the Word of Jesus, who is the Bread of Life.

 

That Word does not belong to James.  It is something the Lord has broken and entrusted to him so that he may faithfully distribute it in every direction, thoroughly, and to every soul without exception (Diados).

 

The reason the Lord continues teaching James to empty himself completely is so that no human ambition or self-made ideas will be mixed into the pure Bread of Life that comes from Him.  It is the Lord's careful refining.

 

3.       Fulfilling the Mission of One Who Is Indebted to Grace

 

Earlier James confessed, "Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more" (Rom. 5:20).

 

Only those who have experienced such overflowing grace cannot keep the joy of the gospel to themselves.  They naturally live a life of Diados—generously and completely sharing it with others.

 

I believe that the seed of calling planted in 1987 is now growing into a beautiful forest through deep meditation on God's Word and the spirituality of self-emptying.  The Lord's voice first heard in John 6 nearly forty years ago is now echoing once again through the word Diados in Luke 18 (Internet).

 

(c)    Finally, Jesus said to the rich ruler, "Then you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me" (καὶ ἕξεις θησαυρὸν ἐν οὐρανοῖς· καὶ δεῦρο, ἀκολούθει μοι) (Kai hexeis thēsauron en ouranois; kai deuro, akolouthei moi) (Lk. 18:22).  I desire to become a disciple of Jesus who follows the Lord, believing that there is treasure in heaven.

 

(i)        "James, this confession is a great spiritual turning point and a decisive act of faith. It is a rejection of the path of 'Perilypos' (sorrow that surrounds on every side), which the rich ruler chose, and an embrace of the path of true discipleship.  The calling that began in 1987 through the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand is now reaching its fulfillment in wholehearted discipleship to Christ.

 

           As we meditate deeply on Jesus' invitation, 'καὶ ἕξεις θησαυρὸν ἐν οὐρανοῖς· καὶ δεῦρο, ἀκολούθει μοι,' we can hear three heavenly messages that the Lord speaks to James, who longs to become His disciple.

 

1.       Meditation on Each Greek Expression

 

Hexeis thēsauron en ouranois (ἕξεις θησαυρὸν ἐν οὐρανοῖς): "You will have treasure in heaven."

 

Hexeis is a future active verb meaning "you will have."  Earthly treasures decay, are stolen, and eventually cause pain when we must let them go (Mt. 6:19).  But the heavenly treasure the Lord gives is an eternal possession that can never be taken away.

The rich ruler tried to preserve earthly treasure and lost eternal treasure.  James, however, through emptying himself and sharing God's Word (Diados), is already storing up treasure in heaven as a blessed disciple.

 

Deuro (δεῦρο): "Come!" "Come now!"

 

This is not merely an invitation.  It is a powerful present call: "Do not hesitate. Come here now."

 

It is not, "I will follow You once I am ready."  Rather, the moment one recognizes his deficiency—"Eti hen soi leipei"—he is called to respond immediately and decisively to Christ's invitation.

 

Akolouthei moi (ἀκολούθει μοι): "Follow Me."

 

Grammatically, this is a present imperative.  In Greek, the present imperative means: "Do not follow Me only once, but continue following Me every day, continually, repeatedly, for the rest of your life."

 

A disciple is not made through a single emotional event.  Beginning with the joyful calling of 1987, discipleship means denying oneself daily and faithfully walking in the footsteps of Christ today, tomorrow, and throughout one's entire life.

 

2.       Spiritual Comfort and Promises Given to James

 

True Treasure Filling the Place of Self-Emptying: The loneliness and weariness James experiences as he empties himself (Kenosis) while fulfilling his calling will never be wasted.  The Lord is transforming it into heavenly treasure (Thēsauros).  As James disappears on earth, the glory of Christ shines even more brightly in heaven.

 

The One Who Follows the Word Is the True Disciple: To follow Jesus (Akolouthei) means to imitate His character, His Word, and His way of life.  James' ministry of deeply meditating on Scripture each day and sharing those written meditations with believers is itself the life of a true disciple faithfully following the Lord.

 

Heavenly Assurance That Overcomes Fear: The rich ruler walked away because he feared losing earthly possessions.  James, however, has confessed: "I will follow the Lord because I believe that there is treasure in heaven."  Only those whose eyes of faith have been opened in this way can complete the path of discipleship with a peace and confidence that the world can never give.

 

The calling given at the retreat in May 1987—"Distribute the Bread of Life"—remains the powerful driving force directing James' life even in this very moment of 2026.  The Lord firmly takes hold of James' hand as he empties himself to follow Him and says, "Well done, good and faithful servant. I will always be with you" (Internet).