Jesus looked at him carefully and loved him. He said, “You are lacking one thing. Go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor. Then you will have treasure in heaven. And come, follow me.” (Mark 10:21 CEB)
This verse comes out a familiar exchange recorded in three of the Gospels. Often called the story of the Rich Young Ruler. All three Gospel accounts tell us he was rich, in Matthew’s account we learn he was young, and in Luke that he was a ruler.
In Mark 10:17 this man comes to Jesus and asks a pointed question, “Good Teacher, what must I do to obtain eternal life?” Jesus responds with a summary listing of the law, “You know the commandments: Don’t commit murder. Don’t commit adultery. Don’t steal. Don’t give false testimony. Don’t cheat. Honor your father and mother.” To which the man responds, “I’ve kept all of these things since I was a boy.”
Then Jesus looks at the man “carefully and loved him.” This is an important aspect of this exchange between Jesus and the man. Mark is sure that the words Jesus is about to speak are motivated not out judgment, but of Jesus’ compassion. Then Jesus says, “You are lacking one thing. Go, sell what you own, and give money to the poor. Then you will have treasure in heaven. And come, follow me.”
Oh, how hard it would be to hear those words from Jesus, “You are lacking one thing.” The man does not receive a “well done good and faithful servant,” but instead an admonishment that he is somehow lacking in his search for what the man describes as “eternal life.”
There is a lot going in this passage, too much to dig into in this short devotional. But, there are few things we can summarize. We know that more than just asking the man to sell what he has and give the money to the poor, Jesus is asking the man to come follow him, to become a disciple. As only Jesus can, he sees into the man’s heart, and knows what would keep him from being able to truly devote himself to Jesus.
Here we might be tempted to conclude, well I’m not “rich or young, or a ruler, so I’m off the hook.” However, I’m convinced that the truth this narrative conveys is deeper than simply, as Jesus says a bit later, “It will be very hard for the wealthy to enter God’s kingdom!” Jesus, is digging to the core of the question, “What keeps you from being fully devoted to me?” In other words, “What is the one thing that we need to give to God, which will allow us to become “sold out” disciples, who follow Jesus no matter the cost?”
In closing, I invite you to join me in praying this Covenant prayer of John Wesley:
I am no longer my own, but completely yours. Put me to what you will, rank me with whom you will. Put me to doing, put me to suffering. Let me be employed for you or laid aside for you, exalted for you or brought low for you. Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and heartily yield all things to your pleasure and disposal. And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, you are mine, and I am yours.
Amen.