the ultimate question

Fred Meijer was one of the wealthiest men in the world. His Meijer stores were the first to combine food and general merchandise under one roof. When he died his fortune put him in select company. But he wore his wealth lightly, often dropping by his shops and revealing a kind heart as he greeted customers, passed out coupons for free ice cream and even bagged shopping.

His generous spirit made the news from his funeral that much harder to take. Freds Christian friends had long worried that he didnt know Jesus, but the preacher at his funeral pretended that that didnt matter. How do you inherit eternal life? the pastor asked the mourners: By being a good neighbor, like Fred was.

I pray that Fred believed more than this, for that is a tragically wrong answer.

A young ruler once asked Jesus the same question, What must I do to inherit eternal life? When the man affirmed that he had kept many of the Ten Commandmentsthings that could lead him to also be a good neighbor, Jesus replied that he hadnt done enough. Go and sell your possessions and give the money to the poor . . . . Then come, follow Me. But the man concluded that the price was too high, and he went away sad (Mark 10:17-22).

The man was not necessarily being materialistic. But Jesus knew his heart. He had to choose between treasure on earth and treasure in heaven. Because the mans wealth was an obstacle to his faith, Jesus said it was impossible for him to be saved (Luke 18:24-27).

How do you inherit eternal life? Put the whole worldfamily, friends, money and sexon one side, and nothing but Jesus on the other. Which do you choose?