Text: Mark 10:17-20 (NIV)
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: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'"
20 "Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy."
In the text quoted above, we see a young man ask Jesus what must I do to inherit eternal life. Jesus reminds the young man of the law, and the young man replies that he has kept the law since he was a child
Subject: “What Are We Keeping That Stops Us From Loving God”
1-Attracted, Drawn to Jesus
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?"
We can ask ourselves the question why are we attracted to Jesus? Why and how have we been drawn to God?
In this verse we are introduced to a man who runs up to Jesus and falls on his knees before Him. He then addresses Jesus as “ Good teacher” – on the surface this seems all good. He appears to be sincere and he certainly has gone through a series of activities that seem to be rather pious.This man seems to be coming to the Lord with a moved heart.
But then he says: "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
Now we know that this man has wealth. My bible translation (the NIV) in its Chapter heading, refers to this passage of scripture as the “Rich Young Man” So yes we are told immediately that this young man has accumulated wealth. He has a lot of material acquisitions and is probably used to getting what he wants when he wants it. He probably developed a sense of self-sufficiency, and perhaps a bit of arrogance. We definitely see a sense of urgency as through his running to Jesus, and we see a posture of reverence as he dramatically falls on his knees. He seemed to be quite reverent. Humility seems to be visible to the natural eye. However, there is something about the way he asks this question that is suspect. He asks “what must I do to inherit eternal life?" – He was sure about his checking account balance, he was sure about his bills being paid and he was sure about his investments and holdings. After all he had obtained all of this because he knew what to do to get it. Maybe he worked hard for his wealth, maybe he inherited it all. The bible says he was a young man, perhaps it was inherited wealth. But the focus of his inquiry let us know that he was unsure of this eternal life. He navigates his earthly existence with certainty because of his wealth, but he is unsure of how to attain eternal life, which he believes is attainable through and by what he must do. ( not what God does, has done or will do) but what he must do.He thought eternal life was attainable through some meritorious work that he could do to secure eternal life. He has everything else all he needs is to do is to figure out what he can do to inherit eternal life.
Jesus interrupts this young man’s thinking with; 18 "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good--except God alone.
I am sure that the young man is taken back by this response from Jesus. And Jesus then proceeds to dismantle this young man’s disingenuous, pious/religious thinking.
Jesus says to him:
19 You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'"
Jesus reminded this young man of teachings from the law. The Decalogue, the Ten Commandments.
Now this young man begins a downward spiral. We saw him fall on his knees as he encountered Christ, but know we see him rising on the throne of self-righteousness. Standing face to face with Jesus he fixes his lips to say:
20 "Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy."
2-Lying To Jesus
Today we have good reason to doubt the veracity of this young man’s statement. We have biblical teaching that tells us that. There are none righteous and that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
What I love about this encounter right at this point. Is that Jesus, we know is omniscient. He knows all things. We stand before God in all of our transparency. We don’t get to hide anything. But Jesus didn’t respond by telling the man that he was a liar. He didn’t tell him that his claim to keeping the law was a lie birthed in the sewer of self-righteousness. The bible says that:
21 Jesus looked at him and loved him.
3-Loved By Jesus
So Jesus didn’t offer condemnation to the young man – He looked at him and loved him.
Jesus saw him in the middle of a lie and loved him anyhow.
This reminds me of the scripture from Romans that tells us while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.
The love of God was not withheld from this young man. Even though the man as pious, prideful, self-righteous and manipulative- 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."
4-Walking Away From Jesus
22 At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
So in answer to this great question of what must I do to inherit eternal life?, Jesus responds with a great answer that targets and exposes the mans own idolatrous affair with his wealth. The answer given by Jesus reveals a disordered attachment. It reveals the man’s attachment to something that occupied a place in his heart that only God should have. Jesus tells him to get rid of his wealth and use it for a charitable act. He tells him to distribute it to the poor. Wealth doesn’t have to be an idolatrous thing. However when your money owns you, when your money has you instead of you having it, when your money has you as a slave then you are in trouble. So the man unable to detach himself from his wealth rejected the invitation of Jesus and walked away. In the young man’s mind he concluded, Jesus you have gone too far. I cannot except your proposition, I cannot except your invitation, I cannot allow you to have a place in my heart over my wealth.
I would suggest that today that for many of us, “accumulated wealth” is not the problem we are facing. However, there are many other things that stand in the way of our complete surrender to loving God. Anger bitterness, frustration disappointment all contribute to our holding back the love that God is worthy of. Jealousy, divisiveness, racism, privilege, isolation from community and lack of commitment all hold us back. The pursuit of and getting wealth can also draw us away from God.
23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!"
24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!
25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man 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."
The good news is that God is able to liberate us from our stumbling blocks. God is able to free us from that which holds us back from completely surrendering to God. God can set the captives free.
We all need to lose the weight of something that hold us down spiritually. We need to prayerfully ask God to continue to mold and shape us as we journey along this road of sanctification. Don’t confuse the issue. God prospers our lives and we need money to sustain ourselves and to be effective in ministry. However disordered attachments enslave us.
Dear God help us to become more like you want us to be in the name of Jesus Amen.
