At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
Mark 10:22-23
We call him the rich young ruler. Have you noticed? We don’t know his name.
We do know the names of Peter, James, and John as well as the other disciples. Probably in his community this man’s name was well known, but it is lost to history. He chose wealth over significance. If only he had followed Jesus, he would have gained identity.
In coming to Jesus, he came to the right Person. Only Jesus knows the answer to the question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”
He came to Jesus at the right time. He was young and had a potential lifetime of service before him. Would we have known him as a foundation stone in the church had he made a different decision that day? If only! And it was the right time for Jesus; He was on the way to the cross. He was willing to add an eleventh-hour worker to His band of disciples.
He asked the right question. The opponents of Jesus had consistently asked questions to trap Him, but this rich young ruler asked the most important question anyone can ask: “How can I live eternally?”
He got the right answer. Jesus laid His finger on what held the man back. He always identifies to us what we must surrender if we are to follow Him. Discipleship comes with a cost.
But the rich young ruler made the wrong decision. He went away.
The German preacher Helmut Thielicke tells the story of the child who was raising a frightful cry because he had shoved his hand into the opening of a very expensive Chinese vase and then couldn’t pull it out again.
Parents and neighbors tugged on the child’s arm while the poor kid howled loudly. Finally, there was nothing left to do but break the beautiful, expensive vase. As the pile of shards lay there, it became clear why the child had been so hopelessly stuck. His little fist held fast to a penny, which he had spied in the bottom of the vase and would not let go.3This young ruler wouldn’t let go either. He had a chance to follow Jesus, and he blew it. Mark notes that he not only went away, but went away “sad.” Was he sad because he knew he had made the wrong choice, or because Jesus didn’t give him the answer he wanted?
Three times in the verses about the rich young ruler, Mark notes that Jesus “looked.” He looked at the man and loved him (v. 21); He looked around at the crowd after the man left Him (v. 23); and He looked finally and specifically at the disciples (v. 27). Jesus is always looking, probing to see where we stand.
He penetrates right to the heart. Where do we stand? What are our values? Are we sincere? What matters most to us? What defenses have we erected against His Lordship? How ready are we to follow Him? Will we pay whatever price He asks?
A Prayer: Lord Jesus, as with the rich young ruler, You just want me. Not part of me, but all of me. May I always say yes to you so that no decision in my life will ever cause me to walk away from You.
Excerpted from Dr. Wood’s book, Fearless: How Jesus Changes Everything, available from Vital Resources.
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