Michael Jackson's Death

Let me start by sending condolences to his family. At only 50 years old it appears this was very unexpected.

It always makes me sad when I hear of people like Michael Jackson passing from this world. Only God truly knows Michael's heart, but from outward appearances it seems he did not know God. And this is what troubles me. Michael Jackson had a lot of things in this life. He traveled the world with fame and fortune, lacking no finery at any point along the way. The sadness though is that these things often keep us from obtaining the one thing we really need, Jesus Christ.

The Bible warns us that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. Riches cloud our ability to see ourselves as needy. There is nothing wrong with being rich, but often the riches are loved above all else, and this makes them wrong.

Jesus warns the rich young ruler that his riches were keeping him from heaven. The young man was a good and righteous man on the outside. He worked hard, was faithful to his family and church, but his true worship fell on accumulating wealth. When Christ asks him to sell all that he has and to give it to the poor the man cannot bring himself to do it, and goes away saddened because he is not a follower of God.

The man had a very good reason for being sad, but it seems his sadness came not from being outside of God's family, but rather from being unable to take what he thought would be a prestigious and gainful place next to Christ. It seems his sadness was more from a heart of self pity, instead of a heart of repentance for the greatness of his sin and the strength with which it held him.

Let us check ourselves as we hear of this sad news. Remember the God who gives you all things, and remember that he has given the one thing you need, forgiveness from your sins if you come and accept Jesus Christ. John 3:16-18