And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
(Mark 10:17-22 ESV)
When we read this passage, it's easy to think this text doesn't apply to us since we're not rich. In reality we are rich. According to the Global Rich List if you make $20,000 a year you're in the top 12 percent of the richest people in the world. (Check out globalrichlist.com to find out your exact position.) The point of Jesus words to the rich man had to do with the man's heart. The man sounds like someone we would point to as a good person. He's kept all of the commandments since he was a young boy. However, there was one area of his life that he didn't trust God. Everything he owned dominated the passion of his heart. He recognized Jesus as God and wanted to follow Him. However, rather than giving up his belongings and follow Jesus, he wanted the security of his money. When we read about this story, it's a no-brainer. Of course, you sell all that you have and follow Jesus. The point of this interaction isn't for everyone at GracePointe to sell everything and move to Uganda. The point is for you to examine your heart. What is Jesus telling you to give up? What is holding you back from enjoying the comfort and security of the Lord of the Universe?
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