Leaving the love of God
Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me” (Mark10:21).
I was reading recently that Elon Musk had become the richest man in the world, with a fortune of over £136bn. It is difficult to understand such wealth. But it is measurable, and it will be left behind.
One day a rich man came running to Jesus, knelt before Him and asked a vital question, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” It was a good start. He came to the Saviour with a great sense of urgency, a deep respect for the Lord and a serious question about eternal life. It was a rare and open display of genuine spiritual concern. In response, the Lord asks Him the most important question, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God” and then He adds, “You know the commandments…”
The Lord’s first question was not answered. But the man then said, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.” I believe he said this, not out of pride or self-righteousness, but from a genuine and honest heart. The Lord reacted in a way which is rarely expressed so precisely in the Bible, “Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him.” At that moment, this man looked into the face of Jesus Christ and experienced His love. But love is challenging, and there was one thing which held sway over this man’s life – his wealth. Jesus appealed to him, “Sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” The tragedy was that his great possessions were more important to him than the love of Christ.
The Lord exposed the condition of the man’s heart by omitting the first and great commandment, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37-38). He tested him by asking why He called Him good. The man calls the Lord “Good teacher” then, after the Lord pointed out to Him that only God is good, he just calls Jesus “Teacher”. For all his qualities, the man did not understand the reason for the question, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.” Jesus wanted him to understand that the lowly Nazarene who never owned a home or carried a penny was God. His riches could never be calculated, and were eternal. He created and sustained everything. Jesus looked on this man and loved him. That was the moment for him to discover he could never love the LORD his God with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his mind. He needed a Saviour. But it was also the moment to discover that the Son of God loved him and wanted him to receive eternal life. But his wealth would not allow him to be blessed. He was very sorrowful and walked away from the love of Christ.
Thank God that, through His immense grace, we have come to know who Christ truly is, and His love for us. He removed all the distance that separated us from His love. He enabled us to respond in faith to that love that will not let us go and that sustains us as we seek to take up His cross and follow Him. We could not be richer.
