⚓ Floatie: The God of Gold or the God of Heaven
Mark 10:21–22 (21)And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” (22)Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.(ESV)
The rich ruler didn’t fail because he had money. He failed because his money had him.
✒️ Forge: Wealth as a False Covenant
In Israel’s worldview, wealth looked like God’s blessing. But Jesus shatters that illusion: if wealth occupies the throne, it’s a false covenant god. Abraham, Job, Joseph of Arimathea, and Barnabas had wealth too—but their riches weren’t rivals to Yahweh. That’s why Jesus never told them to burn it all down. They had already surrendered it in their hearts.
The ruler’s problem wasn’t his position or his influence. Jesus never demanded he abandon his authority. The problem was the financial strappings of that position had become his god. The man asked about eternal life, but when confronted with the price of allegiance, he clung to the idol.
⚒️ Anvil: The Real Test of Allegiance
God doesn’t ask every disciple to sell everything, but He does demand every disciple be willing. If Jesus asked for your house, car, savings, or reputation tomorrow, would you grieve—or rejoice that treasure had shifted hands? The ruler’s sorrow revealed the truth: he wasn’t keeping commandments—he was keeping idols.
This isn’t about balance. It’s about lordship. You cannot cling to Christ with one hand and gold with the other.
💉 Softening Exposure: How Prosperity Pulpits and Respectable Churches Both Twist the Text
Prosperity pulpits shout it openly: “Sow into this ministry and God will multiply your wealth!” It’s spiritualized gambling, a slot machine with a cross painted on the lever. They beat Malachi 3:10 like a drum—“Bring the tithe into the storehouse”—but then redefine the “storehouse” as their stage fund, jet fuel, or expansion project. Yet Jesus’ command to the rich ruler could not be clearer: sell and give to the poor. Not to the synagogue. Not to the temple. Not to the preacher’s empire. Direct to the poor.
The “respectable” churches do the same in whispers. They don’t promise dollar-for-dollar returns, but they preach that giving to their programs is the highest mark of obedience. Week after week, offerings are bent to prop up budgets, staff, and projects while widows, orphans, and foreigners—the very ones God commanded Israel to feed from the storehouse (Deuteronomy 14:28–29)—are pushed to the margins. The New Testament doesn’t soften it either: “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction” (James 1:27)(ESV).
That’s why Jesus bypassed the whole religious machine. He wasn’t raising another revenue stream; He was smashing an idol. He left no space for priests, pastors, or programs to stand between His command and the poor. Prosperity preachers distort it for profit. Respectable churches sanitize it for survival. Both have turned His call into fuel for their own machine.
And Christ has already given His verdict on this kind of manipulation: “My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you make it a den of robbers” (Matthew 21:13)(ESV). He flipped tables over this then, and He still flips them now. The only question is whether He will flip yours.
🔥 Ember: My Witness
Every time I read this passage, I feel the Spirit pressing on my own allegiances. What do I cling to with white knuckles? What would make me walk away sorrowful if Jesus demanded it? The answer to that question reveals whether Christ is my Lord or just my consultant. He’s not interested in auditing my accounts—He’s interested in burning down my idols.
🌿 Covenant Triumph: Treasure That Cannot Rot
When Jesus promises treasure in heaven, it isn’t poetic fluff. It’s the eternal exchange rate: barns rot, accounts crash, tombs are filled—but in Him, nothing is lost. The disciples who gave up everything didn’t become poor—they became heirs. What the ruler walked away from in sorrow, the apostles received with joy.
And so will we—if Christ, not gold, holds the throne.
[⚓ Floatie] [✒️ Forge] [⚒️ Anvil] [🔥 Ember] [🌿 Covenant Triumph]
This post follows the Forge Baseline Rule—layered truth for the discerning remnant.
Walking With Christ 
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