This story is often told from the perspective of having a love for money. If that is what you are expecting, then keep reading, because I'm going somewhere completely different. This devotional is not about the love of money, but stick with meI'll bring it all together in the end.
I was scrolling through YouTube a few weeks ago and watched a video where a guy randomly quizzes people on the street. After that video played, I started getting other video suggestions of similar content. One of the videos had the acronym NPC in the title. So, I looked up the acronym, and it stands for Non-Playable Character.
This is a character in a video game that you can't use to play the game. For my 40+ crowd, think about a game like the original Mario Bros. You could play the game as Mario; he would be a playable character. However, you couldn't play the game as Bowser or the Princess. They were just characters used to tell the story.
By now, I'm sure you're wondering where I'm going with this analogy. I'll land the plane in a moment. Non-playable characters have a single purpose: to be used to tell a story or to fill a scene. They aren't used to impact how the story plays out. Similar to extras in a movie, they don't usually have any meaningful purpose but are used as filler. How many people simply walk through life as non-playable characters? These are people who may very well be good people but aren't living out their purpose.
Similar to the rich man in the scripture above. He had all the characteristics of a Christian: he wanted to know Jesus, he authentically sought out Jesus to have a relationship, and he wanted eternal life. If you stop reading this passage at verse 20, you would assume this story would play out completely differently. Because in verse 21, Jesus didn't call the man out on his claim to have followed the commands. Jesus said, "One thing you lack" meaning the man had kept all those commands. However, Jesus wanted him not to depend on his wealth but to follow Him. We need more out of life than money, success, or tangible goods; we need a relationship with a God who controls the universe, Jesus who sacrificed His life for us, and our hearts and minds filled with the Spirit of God.
I want to take this back to the introduction of how this guy became an NPC instead of a disciple. He followed all the rules, lived a good life, had more than enough, yet still wanted the one thing he was lacking: Jesus. However, he walked away sad because he wasn't willing to give up the very thing he was truly devoted to, his money. Had he followed Jesus, I believe his story and name would have been written in the book of life for all eternity. He could have been a disciple that we would still talk about in church, or we could have read more about his journey with Jesus as a disciple. Instead, he was just a character we learned a lesson from, not a person who had a role and destiny that was fulfilled.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, Creator and Ruler of all eternity. LORD help me to keep the commands, to be faithful, giving, and to honor You with my full life and not let possession keep me from having a relationship with You. Allow me to have the impact that You intend for my life. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
