Scripture
Mark 10:21-“Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. ‘There is still one thing you haven’t done,’ he told him. ‘Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’”
Observation
In Mark 10 today, we read about a man who came to Jesus with one question on his mind: “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” This one question revealed the rich man’s keen understanding of religion and just protocols while simultaneously revealing his complete misunderstanding of relationship and Jesus’ purposes. His desire to inherit eternal life was a commendable mission, but his focus was a complete miss. These 4 words “what must I do” revealed his belief that he could earn, or achieve, or “do” something to gain eternal life, but his actions, his accomplishments, and his worthiness wouldn’t get him any closer to this prize. “Jesus felt genuine love for him”. Jesus saw that this man’s pursuits and riches left him empty, and He had compassion for him. He didn’t rebuke the man for his pride or scold him for his silly question; rather, Jesus pointed him back to the source of the matter, which was his heart. Would he be willing to sacrifice the treasures of money, possessions, and accomplishments he had earned in exchange for the treasures of heaven and following Jesus? Would he choose to love Jesus above anything else? This was the true key! It was less about doing and more about surrendering.
Application
There are so many lessons to glean from this passage:
- Jesus genuinely loves you and me and wants the best for us. He genuinely desires a relationship with us and isn’t after religious rule-following but complete surrender. I wonder how often my devotions and prayer life look more like religious rule-following than complete surrender. I wonder how often even my obedience and doing right is more motivated by religious rule-following, where I’m seeking personal gain in the end, than complete surrender. It’s a matter of my heart’s motivation, and I need to ensure it’s pure before Him.
- Eternal life isn’t about what I do or don’t do or about who’s worthy or not worthy. Eternal life is about what Jesus has already done and His worthiness. This is Bible basics yet this gift can’t be relegated to just another bit of information that we know, but it should be the motivation by which we live. Because of His love, because of His grace, because of the eternal life He gives, we can now live to please Him, to bless Him, and to serve others. The actions don’t earn eternal life but the actions should be fruit born out of the gift of eternal life.
- It’s less about the question: “What must I do...” and more about the question: “What must I surrender...”
Prayer
Jesus, thank You for Your genuine love that cares for us, that provides for us, and offers us eternal life. Forgive me for the times where I put other things, whether money and possessions or religious rule-following, before complete surrender to You. Reveal to me the idols that have captured my heart that I might be pure, holy, and pleasing to You! In Jesus’ name, Amen.
