Adapted from Oxygen: Deep Breathing for the Soul (Revell)
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?”
“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 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.'”
“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
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.”
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!”
The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for the rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said, “With human beings this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
(Mark 10:17–27)
Just before he’s approached by this young man, Jesus had a group of children on his lap. They illustrated a great truth: Childlike faith and trust is necessary if we are to enter the kingdom. Our own accomplishments are not enough.
Children in Jesus’ day were not soccer stars by the time they were five, nor did they assume that the world revolved around them. They quickly learned that was not the case. To be childlike was to know that you were basically unimportant.
As Jesus leaves the children, this wealthy young man strides over. If he lived today, I imagine he might be busy checking on his investments on his cell phone as he hurries along. “I’ve got people to see, places to be, but I need to get some info—how can I inherit eternal life?”
He’s already inherited a lot, most likely—the first century equivalent of a 401(k), a vacation home on the Sea of Galilee, and a condo in Jerusalem. He also thinks his balance sheet is in order spiritually—he’s kept all the rules, or thinks he has. He wants to make sure he’s got this “eternity” thing nailed down, too.
Jesus doesn’t tell him, “To inherit eternal life you need to keep the commandments.” He says, “No one is good—except God alone” (v. 18 TNIV). His point here is: Okay, you just called me ‘good’—does that mean you believe I’m God? Or just a ‘good teacher’?
I think Jesus is also pointing out to him: You think it’s about ‘being good,’ but it’s not. It’s about humility. Don’t you wonder if this young man saw Jesus interacting with the children just moments before? Jesus is trying to tell him that accomplishments, whether they are in the business or financial realm or in keeping the religious rules, don’t help. No one is good.
Then Jesus says, “You know the commandments” (v. 19). He’s not saying that they are the way to eternal life either. He’s just stating a fact: You know those commandments, right? I don’t know, but I wonder if he was going to say, “You know those commandments? They are not really going to be enough to get you eternal life either,” except that the man interrupts to say that he’s basically never sinned.
Pretty cheeky, this guy. He’s called Jesus good, and Jesus responds with: Oh, really? Do you believe you’re having a conversation with God? And if you do, you have the nerve to say you’ve never broken a commandment, including that one about “false testimony”—that is, lying? Really?
Jesus knows this guy has his priorities totally screwed up. He’s moving too fast; he’s not even really paying attention to the conversation he’s having. He just wants an insurance policy. He wants to cross “eternal life” off his shopping list.
Amazingly, Jesus does not get annoyed. He sees right through this wealthy young man. He’s rude, he’s a liar, he’s flippantly sycophantic, calling Jesus “good teacher.” He’s pretty sure he can buy his way into heaven somehow.
What just floors me about Jesus in this story is verse 21: “Jesus looked at him and loved him.”
Really? He loved him?
I am not always humble when I come to Jesus. I am sometimes hurried, taking his attention for granted. I’m not proud of it, but I can act like this young man. I can be a jerk in my interactions with Jesus sometimes.
When I am this way, I sometimes think that Jesus will be annoyed with me or angry. He will sigh, roll his eyes, shake his head. Love me less, somehow.
The amazing truth is that we all come to Jesus, at least once in a while, like this young man. Selfish, hurried, deluded about our strengths, blind to our shortcomings.
And Jesus looks at us and loves us. Loves us.
Later Jesus says, “All things are possible with God” (v. 27).
The impossible thing that God makes possible is that we, in our sin, in our self-absorption, are loved by him.
Learn more about Oxygen and Keri’s other books, at www.keriwyattkent.com.
Copyright © 2008 Promiseland.
