Mark 10:17-27

Mark 10:17-27 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: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do 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!” It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man 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 man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

I love what Jesus said to this man, “No one is good — except God alone." Christians sometimes find this statement confusing. Wasn't Jesus good? Wasn't He sinless? Why not call him good? Yet, Jesus would not receive this accolade. He deferred goodness to God. Why not Jesus? Well, Jesus was acting on God's instructions in everything He was doing. The Holy Spirit within him directed his steps and words. In the Bible we see Jesus as the creating power of the godhead. That is probably why the creating dimension of God came to earth, to create new life into man. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. (John 1:1-3) Now God the Father is known as the initiator of all things. He is the essence of the Word. The beginning and ending, the alpha and omega. Nothing is or ever shall be without God. Jesus said call no man good, for God alone initiates all goodness. If anything or anybody is good, it is because God is good. Goodness is his domain, his nature.

Now, Jesus seemingly lays out for this man a way to eternal life. Jesus knows this path does not make him good (for only God is good); it just makes him reflect goodness. When the man said, “all these I have kept since I was a boy,” Jesus adds another requirement to being good, “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Jesus is really telling the man that there is always another step in being good. He could have said, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. (Luke 6:26) He could have said, "Young man when people persecute you and kill you for no good reason, you should have in your heart the thought, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:24) He could have piled on demands such as the purity of his thought life, whether he was ever angry without cause, whether he honored his father and mother always in his mind, and so on. But Jesus knew this rich man's primary weakness was the gaining of wealth. We can make this story just about wealth if we want to, but Jesus knows our weaknesses too. If we are reading this and think that we are good, that we are worthy to be loved because of our goodness, remember Jesus knows our weaknesses. That is why Jesus first told the rich man, no one is good except the Father God. Don't even call me good, for I am just an instrument of His goodness. I always do what He tells me to. I only think what He wants me to think. I am his vessel, his servant.

Jesus ends this story by saying, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” Otherwise, how hard it is for a man/woman who is tacked down to this world and the things of this world to enter into the kingdom of goodness, to be like God. His or her thoughts will always be contaminated with thoughts of self-preservation, self-love, self-adulation. This story emphatically tells us why we cannot reach God's heart through our efforts, through our love, through our devotion. No, Jesus Christ came to us to show us GOD'S LOVE. He drew near to us. He walked our dusty roads. He came to Earth to deliver us. His undying love and effort was not to show us another rule, another regulation, for He knew rules and regulations would defeat us, keep us out of the kingdom of heaven. YES, THE RICH YOUNG MAN LACKED ONE MORE THING. We all lack one more thing in being righteous. We will always lack one more thing. BUT GOD enters the picture and says, all things are possible with me (God.) "I will create a new life in you through the efforts of my SON, JESUS CHRIST. HE IS THE GREAT CREATOR.