A POOR CHOICE, INDEED
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: ‘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.’”
20 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
21 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.”
22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Mark 10:17-22
This incident illustrates the power that stuff, whatever it is – money, things, gifts, talents, abilities, skills, people, habits, and pleasure – exerts on a person and blocks the potential to have fellowship with Jesus. A wealthy young man came to Jesus with an expression of spiritual hunger. He desired the assurance of eternal life. He had obviously seen something in Jesus that drew a response from his own heart. He yearned for a share in the dimension of living that Jesus exhibited.
Jesus firstly challenged his address – good teacher. Did the man recognise His deity or was he only trying to flatter Him? To call Jesus “good” was to attribute to Him deity and all the power and authority that go with deity. What Jesus said in response to the man’s query would alert him to the very nature of the one he was addressing. Fid he realise that he was acknowledging Jesus to be God? God? . To the man, Jesus’ response would eventually be much more than an answer to his question. This would turn out to be a defining moment for him; a choice to make that would determine the direction of his destiny.
His restless soul bore witness to the inadequacy of his own righteousness, and the focus of his life and confidence.– stuff. Keeping the commandments from childhood brought him no nearer to real living. He had too many chains that hindered true freedom. There was something he had missed but he could not identify it. He thought that it was something he had not yet done.
In one sentence, Jesus put his finger on the problem. His treasure was in his heart. As long as his stuff was his master, he was owned by a life-principle that rules in the world system – the yetzer harah, the evil eye of selfishness and greed. . No-one can serve two masters. Unless he chose to repudiate the master that controlled him, he would be a slave to money until he died. His slave-driver won the battle that day. He chose to remain a slave to his possessions rather than let them go for a Master who would give him true freedom. He could not visualise a life linked to a Source far more secure than his money and possessions.
Millions in today’s world are in love with the same master. Better to trust your bank account than a God you cannot see. Really…?