An Unfulfilled Desire. Mark 10:17-22.
And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. “You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honour your father and mother.”And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.”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 and follow me.”Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
Dear People of God,
Some people have come to believe that Jesus is unique. That he is from God is not in doubt. The “rich young ruler,” as he is popularly known, believes that Jesus has the answer to eternal life.
Curiosity (v. 17). Luke tells us that the young man was a ruler (Luke 18:18). This would mean that he was a ruler of a synagogue. It would have taken courage for such a man to publicly kneel before Jesus. That he did it shows that he believed that Jesus had the answer to his question, and he definitely desired eternal life.
Challenge (v. 18). Jesus wants the man to think about what he actually believes. He called Jesus “good teacher.” Does he realise that only God is good and that by calling Jesus good, he was attributing divinity to him? Like this young man, many people are on the very edge of true faith, but they fail to take the critical step – the conclusion that Jesus indeed is God.
Commandments (Vv. 19-22). Jesus then gives the man the standard for living – the Ten Commandments. The man is confident that he has kept all of them faithfully from childhood. The test Jesus puts him through proves otherwise. All the commandments are anchored in love for God and love for one’s neighbour (Luke 10:27). The man was not willing to give up his wealth for service to God, nor was he willing to give it away to people in need. His heart was wrapped around himself. He loved neither God nor his neighbour. It is easy to have an illusion of righteousness, as long as we look at the commandments casually.
The man missed Jesus’ introductory statement, “No one is good except God alone” (v. 18). Paul later puts this more plainly, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). To love anything more than we love God is idolatry, as it is to cling to things at the expense of love for one’s neighbour. Do you love God enough to give up everything for him? What of your neighbour?
Your Loving Pastor Chris.