Mark 10:17-23

Rachel Workman: ¹⁷ As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

¹⁸ “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. ¹⁹ You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.” I think Jesus asked him this question to see what his response would be. I think the response he was looking for was "You are the living son of God".

²⁰ “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”

²¹ Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” I love this verse. Jesus looked at him and loved him. He knew this man coveted his money before God and yet he looked at him and he loved him in his sinful state. We are loved by God first. Before we ever look to God for forgiveness of our sins we are loved by him. It is by love that we are saved. Love is what motivated Jesus to be obedient to the cross. Love is what allows God to extend mercy and grace to us even though we don't deserve it.

²² At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

²³ Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”

____________________________________________________________________________________

John Burnett:  ¹⁷ As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

¹⁸ “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. ¹⁹ You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’^[a]”

²⁰ “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”

²¹ Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

²² At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

²³ Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”  This passage is about the rich man but has very little to do about his money.  In verse 20 the rich man declares himself righteous by keeping the law immediately after Jesus had just said “No one is good-except God alone.”  Money clouded the rich man’s judgement and did not allow him to see his sin and his need for Jesus.  His love for his money overrode any desire he had for eternal life because he already thought he was good enough to inherit eternal life.  Inheriting eternal life can only happen when we humble ourselves by confessing we are not good and putting our trust in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ to pay the price for our sins.  We then become adopted sons and daughters (children of God the Father) and co-heirs of Christ. 

____________________________________________________________________________________

Allen Michaels:  ¹⁷ As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

¹⁸ “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. When Jesus asked this question, he was saying, “Do you really know the One to whom you are talking?” Because only God is truly good, the man was calling Jesus “God,” whether or not he realized it. ¹⁹ You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’” Ironically, his attitude made him unable to keep the first commandment, which he claims to have kept since he was a boy, to let nothing be more important than God (Exodus 20:3). He could not meet the one requirement that Jesus gave; to turn his whole life over to God. The man came to Jesus wondering what he could do; he left seeing what he was unable to do. What barriers are keeping us from turning our lives completely over to Christ? We often look at money as a “little” sin because it’s so easy to justify spending it. However, there is no such thing as a “little” sin. In God’s eyes sin-is-sin. It scares me to think that my sins will be judged just the same as the Isis fighters who burned the Jordanian pilot alive and have massacred thousands of innocent people. It’s these “little” things that are going to get us.

²⁰ “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”

²¹ Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” We should be asking ourselves, “What does my money really mean to me?” This does not mean that all believers should sell all their possessions. In fact, most of his followers did not sell everything, but, they used their possessions to serve others. This story shows us that we must not let anything we have or desire, keep us from following Jesus. We must remove all barriers to serving him fully. I’m sure if Jesus asked, could I give up my house, my car, or my level of income? My reaction just may show my attitude toward money—whether I’m a slave to it or a master of it.

²² At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Love is able to give tough advice; it doesn’t beat around the bush or sugar coat it. Christ loved us enough to die for us. If his love were superficial, he would give us only his approval; but because his love is complete, he gives us life-changing challenges. We need to recognize these moments, thank God for them, and then move forward making the most out of them.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Tomorrow's reading for Mark 10:24-31

²⁴ The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is^[e] to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵ It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
²⁶ The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”
²⁷ Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
²⁸ Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!”
²⁹ “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel ³⁰ will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. ³¹ But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”