May 3

Mark 10:17-34 (Click to see scripture)

Bible in One Year Passages:

Journal Entry

Scripture

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, Honor 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, follow me.” Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Observation

I believe that this man (see parallel passage Luke 18:18-23) was a genuine seeker who clearly understood that Jesus was not just another rabbi. Maybe this was the last chance he had to seek an answer that had gnawed at him from the inside, as Jesus was walking away from where he had been teaching. Others had asked questions to trick Jesus or to justify themselves in the eyes of others. Some were seeking healing and immediate solutions to impairments and the troubles of the day. But he runs to catch up with the entourage and kneels before blurting out the one troubling question that expressed the emptiness in his life. When Jesus gives his first response, this man says without pretense that he had "kept [these] from my youth." A few people in life are able to say such things with transparency. I am reminded of Nathaniel and how he responded to Jesus' exclamation, "Behold, an Israelite in whom is no guile," by saying "Lord, how did you know me?" This man was one high quality individual. The passage says that Jesus was "looking at him, loved him," before giving him the teaching and guidance that he needed. The beauty of the gospel is that it speaks truth that applies to individual lives. For this man, the stumbling block was that he lived with no balance. Maybe his accounting scheme showed that his account was balanced, with proper weight given to his law abiding zeal and his apparent material wealth. But the real ledger would show that these accomplishments are actually impediments to the real answer to his question. As we know from the good news of the gospel, one inherits eternal life by placing trust in Jesus and following Him. Why does Jesus answer in this way, seemingly placing great value on selling his possesions and giving them to the poor? Because that is the one thing in this man's life that would prove to be a great burden on his journey. Clearly there are wealthy as well as poor (materially speaking) folks in the kingdom of God. What makes a person a disciple, is that he/she follow Jesus. This short encounter does not end well as the man's quick valuation leads him to side with his material wealth. The clarity with which he sought the answers to life's most important question was lost because of the weight placed on his great possessions. For this man, the impediment was wealth. For others it is a stubborn pride that grew out of one's great intellect, or social standing. And some stumble because of pleasurable habits that cloud their vision on what to truly value.

Application

I am so busy living life in the here and now that clarity for eternal things is simply not even an issue. Time to think and meditate on how I am doing, as a follower of Jesus and what things I am carrying unnecessarily.

Prayer

Father, give me clarity in my life so that I can respond well to your invitation to follow.

--JHH