I’d Rather Have Jesus...

Several years ago I attended a wedding where the song, I’d Rather Have Jesus, was sung. Ahead of me sat two attractive girls in their early twenties, finely dressed, decorated with jewelry, make-up and hair just right.

By Mark D. Mathewson, Ph.D.
Dean, Christian Leadership College 

As the words of the song proclaimed a desire to have Jesus rather than wealth, these two exchanged glances of disgust and outright disdain.  Clearly they thought it absurd to choose Jesus over riches.  A similar mistake in reasoning occurred in Jesus’ day.

One of the saddest stories in the Bible is of the young wealthy man who rejected Jesus’ offer of eternal life, opting for his possessions instead (Matt. 19:16-26).  Though a scrupulous keeper of the Torah, the rich man sensed an inadequacy in his legalism.  He asked Jesus, “What good thing can I do to have eternal life?”

In a reply immediately placing this young man in an inescapable dilemma, Jesus tells him to sell all of his possessions, give the proceeds to the poor and come follow Him.  Only then will he have treasure in heaven.  But, didn’t the rich man ask about having eternal life?  Yes, and Jesus answered him.

Jesus identifies treasure in heaven with eternal life (and both as synonymous with entering the kingdom of heaven and entering the kingdom of God).  So, the rich man can keep his earthly treasures or he can have the treasure of eternal life with Jesus.  But not both.  Why?

Jesus recognized that this man’s allegiance was to his wealth and in that condition, he could not loyally follow Jesus (Matt. 6:24).  Thus, the two commands – “sell your possessions, give away the proceeds” and “follow me” – cannot be divorced.  The relinquishing of his wealth would not save him.  His following Jesus would.  But, due to his allegiance to his wealth, the selling of it was a precondition to his being able to break its hold and follow Jesus.

Sadly, like the two girls at the wedding, the wealthy young man made a serious mistake in reasoning.  He too thought it was unreasonable to have Jesus rather than riches.

I believe this rich man made three mistakes in reasoning that cost him eternal life.  First, he failed to understand that eternal life is so valuable that it is worth giving up everything to gain it.  As Jesus taught in the parables of the hidden treasure and valuable pearl (Matt. 13:44-46), eternal life with Jesus (entering the kingdom of heaven) is worth exceedingly more than whatever it may cost to obtain it.  Those who really understand the value of this treasure will gladly abandon everything, if need be, to secure it.  Due to his allegiance to wealth, the rich man mistakenly held on to the very thing that prohibited him from having the infinite riches of eternal life.

Second, he failed to understand that whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Jesus’ sake will find it (Matt. 16:25).  Following Jesus requires denying one’s self which, for some, means denying one’s self the accumulation of wealth.  Those who can’t deny themselves their lives lived for riches will lose their souls.   Eternal life will not be theirs.  Jesus warned that life does not consist in the abundance of possessions (Luke 12:15).  Blinded by his allegiance to wealth, the rich man mistakenly thought his life consisted in the having of riches and in protecting that lifestyle, he lost eternal life.

Third, he failed to understand that it profits nothing if a person gains the whole world, yet loses his soul (Matt. 16:26).  Despite bumper stickers to the contrary, he who dies with the most toys wins nothing—and has lost them all and most likely his soul as well.  As C. S. Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity, “Aim at Heaven and you will get earth ‘thrown in’: aim at earth and you will get neither.”  A focus on amassing and protecting wealth here that keeps us from following Jesus, leads to us losing everything in the end.  Fooled by his allegiance to wealth, the rich man mistakenly thought he would lose all by giving up everything and following Jesus when he really would have gained all—eternal life.

Like the two girls at the wedding, the wealthy young man could not sing, “I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold; I’d rather be His than have riches untold; I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands.”

Can you sing those lines and mean it?  Maybe, like them, you think there’s something illogical about relinquishing wealth to have Jesus for eternity.  Think again.  Learn from the mistakes in reasoning the rich young man (and the two girls at the wedding) made.  Allegiance to Jesus or riches?  Your choice.