Tethers

A rich young man once asked of Christ:
"What good deed must I do,
That I may gain eternal life?
For truth is known by you."

"Why do you ask me what is good?"
Yeshua asked the man.
"For only God alone is good.
You must follow His plan."

"If you keep the Lord's Commandments
The sea of life will part.
And you'll find my Father's kingdom,
If you are pure of heart."

"I keep all of God's Commandments."
The young man answered back.
"But I feel like something's missing.
What is it I still lack?"

"If you wish to seek perfection,
To be completely free,
Give all you have to those in need,
And then come follow me."

But the rich young man was wealthy,
And couldn't let it go.
So lost, beyond the needle's eye,
He felt his sorrow grow.

Two thousand years have passed since then.
We've had time to reflect
On circumstances, then and now,
And truths that now connect.

What did the rich man really have,
That you don't have today?
Did he have electricity,
A car in his driveway?

If he wanted a vacation,
Could he go on a cruise?
Did his house have running water?
Did he wear Nike shoes?

Did he have a Sleep Number Bed,
For both he and his wife?
What kind of doctors treated them?
Could they prolong his life?

This "rich man", he had less than you,
Which brings me to the gist.
When comparing your possessions,
Yours is the longer list!

Your possessions are your tethers,
They bind us to the earth!
We're dependant on their value,
To us, a matchless worth!

So we become the rich young man,
Seeking our Lord's advise.
And if we go the Rich Man's way,
We'll pay an equal price.

Can you throw away your shackles?
Live like God's saintly men?
Or will you choose the ball and chain
That tether's you to sin?

This poem was a finalist in the March 2022 poetry contest