3. Give to the Poor

Give up on worldly aspirations and invest in the Kingdom.

We tend to think that it just happened once or twice, but Jesus constantly commanded his followers to sell their possessions and to give the proceeds to the poor. It wasn’t just a challenge he gave to the rich young ruler. The invitation Jesus gave to the rich young ruler is a well-known Bible passage, but it’s one of many sell-all challenges our Lord gave. The most striking thing about this encounter is the fact that Jesus told the rich young ruler he had to sell all he had.

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’ (Matthew 19:21).

Does Jesus use the sell-all challenge for all of his followers, or does he just "pick on" the rich? Yes. He says to us even today: Give up on worldly goals and invest in the Kingdom. To have a Kingdom focus, you must stop worrying about material things.

Giving our possessions to the poor is a way of saying “We’re not worried about this World,” but it’s scary to let go of what we have. Giving can be scary, and Jesus knows that we get scared by his challenge—which is why he reminds us of the reason why we should do it: to obtain the treasure God has for us in Heaven. It’s to get the Kingdom God is pleased to give us!

Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the Kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in Heaven that will never fail… (Luke 12:32-33)

Zacchaeus, a very wealthy tax collector, was one man who heard Jesus’ challenge loud and clear. Along with everyone else who listened to Jesus, Zacchaeus understood that he had to renounce the love of money if he would be saved. He knew what he had to do if he was going to follow Jesus. He had to demonstrate repentance through acts of compassion to the poor. After eating with Jesus one afternoon, Zacchaeus proclaimed his newfound commitment to the poor:

Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house…’ (Luke 19:8-9)