The Young Man Asks Jesus a Question

Mark 10:17-22

“There came one running, who kneeled before Jesus, and asked: “Good teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?’ And, Jesus said: ‘Why do you call me “good,” there is none good, but God alone.’ You know the commandments: . . .
“The man answered: yes, I have kept these even from my youth.

“THEN JESUS BEHOLDING HIM, LOVED HIM, AND SAID TO HIM:
“ONE THING YOU LACK: GO, SELL ALL YOU HAVE, GIVE THE MONEY TO THE POOR, AND YOU WILL HAVE TREASURE IN HEAVEN AND COME, TAKE UP THE CROSS AND FOLLOW ME.

“And, he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved, for he had great possessions.”

What must I do to inherit eternal life? Obey the commandments. This I have done from my youth. If you would be perfect, go, sell all that you have, give the money to the poor and follow me.

I think that Jesus saw in this young man a holy desire; a desire for full communion with God and a desire to walk in that holy path that Jesus was on. He also saw that this was a good young man. We are told in the scriptures that when Jesus heard how he loved and respected God’s law, Jesus loved him.

But, the young man walked away sadly, feeling the pressures of his life, the possessions of his life, calling him back. The young man was seeking holiness and freedom; the real restrictions on him though, were the conditions of his own success and status, it seems. Or, we might say that the real restrictions on him were that his life was living him and he wasn’t living his life.

The conditions, pressures, responsibilities of his life were things he was reacting to, responding to, but he wasn’t freely taking up his life each day and choosing freely how to live.

Imagine that after trying for ten years, you have just won the lottery: powerball – 2.8 million! And, you get the chance to meet Jesus. And, you dare to ask him: “what do I really need to do to inherit eternal life?” And, he says: “give your 2.8 million to your neighbor you hate.” Or, maybe he ignores the lottery winnings, and just says: “be kind to your neighbor next door that you hate. That’s all; just do that.”

Or, maybe you see Jesus and have been feeling empty, and you come up to him and ask: “Lord, what do I need to do to get out of this mess of a life I’m in?” And, he says something like: give up that relationship; give up your pills that you rely on more than me; give up your drinking that you rely on more than me; give up your efforts to remain popular with others, since you are seeking to please them more than me; give up your efforts to get wealthy and secure your wealth.; give up your self-hatred and self-criticism and receive life from God, receive grace from God; get up and walk.

What was it that drew the man to Jesus to ask what he asked, and what was it that kept him from following when he got the answer that would free him? The young man came, like so many come, looking for deliverance from the conditions of his life that keep him from being free. That keep him from being able to live life fully.

And, probably what bothered Jesus the most was that Jesus saw that this man would make a great disciple, if he could just experience the freedom and joy of trusting completely in God. But, Jesus understood the young man, because Jesus understood how insecure human life can be, and when you have a house and some money, you don’t want to risk that security because it can be a hard world out there. If you have something, its hard to give it away, because who else is going to look after you, if you don’t? Who else is going to look after your wife and children and parents, if you don’t? And, so Jesus was sad as he loved the man, knew what life is like, and wished the young man could step outside his life for just a minute to experience what life is like in the Spirit of God.

We work hard in this life to have a place to live, to have health insurance if we can get it, to have a way to get around town, to have money to buy groceries for ourselves and our families. We work hard to make sense of life, and keep things in balance. We work hard to make it through life’s hardships, and carry on responsibly. But, sometimes we work so hard and worry so much, that we forget that life comes to us as a gift each day. We aren’t creating life each day – it is a gift from our Creator. We aren’t sustaining life each day – God does that with his Spirit. But, we are receiving and cooperating and passing on life from God. It is a joyful, not burdensome task when we understand this. I imagine that the rich young ruler, like most of us, just hadn’t learned this yet.

Sometimes it feels like life depends on you. But, life and the power of life and the goodness of life is being offered to you each day by God. What is yours to learn is how to recognize and receive this life from God, and how to pass it on. That’s what Jesus was trying to teach this young man. To learn that life is a gift from God’s hand, a gift to pass on to others as we live it. Jesus meant to teach the man that you can’t possess life, but you can celebrate it and live it fully if you know the author of Life.

Jesus stood among the men and women and children of his day saying “I am the bread of life; he who comes to me will not hunger.” I am the way, the truth and the light . . . he who comes to me I will in no wise cast out.. . And, Jesus said: “I have come that they might have life and that abundantly.”

The rich young ruler came to Jesus; about how he could be everything God wanted him to be. And, I invite you to come before the Lord today in this same spirit. To come to this Table with a desire to be all that God has asked you to be. To come to this Table today with a yearning to follow the way of Jesus in this world. And, I ask: “What must I do, Lord, to become a faithful man devoted to you in all of my life?” “What must I do to become a faithful woman devoted to you in all my life? “ To know you more clearly, To love you more dearly; to follow you more nearly – day by day. And, to hear God’s answer, you need to go deep within. To a place that only you and God’s Spirit can go. To the inner sanctuary of your soul, the holy of holies within. There, the Christ waits, to lead you to life, to awaken your joy, to celebrate with you the gift, the glory, the purpose and the promise of life in God.
But, there are other voices calling to you: voices within and voices without. Voices that tell you you are not worthy to follow in the way of life; voices telling you you are not able to follow in the way of life; voices telling you that it just doesn’t matter, and that what matters is either how you look, how others think of you, and what you power or wealth you have. Amidst all these voices, listen for that still small voice of the Lord; let those who have ears to hear, hear what the Spirit is saying.

I close with a prayer from Richard of Chichester:

Thanks be to you,
O Lord Jesus Christ,
for all the benefits which you have given us;
for all the pains and insults which you have borne for us.
O most merciful redeemer,
friend and brother,
may we know you more clearly,
love you more dearly,
and follow you more nearly,
for your own sake. Amen.