We live in a world of plenty. I don’t think any of us living in the United States of America could legitimately argue otherwise, the frequent conversations centered around homelessness, poverty and food insecurity notwithstanding. Even the poorest among us are considered rich by the rest of the world’s standards.
There are, however, signs around us that indicate even in this world of plenty, there is still something lacking, and that is truly sad. Those indicators are not tangible things like food, shelter, clothing and transportation. They’re much more intangible—things like identity, meaning, purpose and fulfillment. Dare I even say, “Salvation?” You know? All things that money can’t buy.
According to recent data from the National Alliance on Mental Illness and other sources, about 1 in 5 U.S. adults — over 60 million people — experience mental illness each year, with rising concerns around depression, anxiety, and suicide. This hits young people especially hard: Generation Z, despite unprecedented access to information via smartphones, reports some of the highest levels of mental health struggles among generations. We’ve experienced it in our own family, and it is heartbreaking.
Life is not a matter of having enough stuff. It’s a matter of having the right stuff. We can go through life achieving much success, status in our community, gaining financial security and all while being deeply sincere in our beliefs and our actions, and yet, we can still feel as though something is missing. That is a sad predicament, indeed!
A Rich Young Ruler
Lest I paint too grim a picture, though, let me remind us that there is nothing new under the sun. We’re not the first generation to wrestle with the nature of “stuff” and its impact on our lives. Remember that Jesus encountered a young man who came asking the deep question we’ve all asked at one time or another: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Mark’s record of the encounter begins this way:
As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17 NLT)
This encounter is recorded in the three “synoptic” Gospels—Mark, Luke and Matthew. When we put all three accounts together we begin to get a clear picture of the young man. Yes, Mark only says a “man,” but Matthew makes the distinction that he is “young,” and Luke even includes that he is a “ruler” of sorts, so this has become “the story of the rich young ruler.”
I find it interesting that he was young, and like the young people of our day, he was struggling with a deep existential question. I mention Mark’s account because there is one detail that Mark gives us that I believe we need to note if we’re to grasp the meaning of the entire encounter. I’ll “circle back” to that detail momentarily.
What do we know about this young man? Well, from Luke’s gospel (Luke 18:18-30), we know he was rich. We assume it from Mark and Matthew (Matthew 19:16-26) because it says he had “great wealth.” Great wealth? From that, it is safe to assume that he had some measure of success in his life, although I suppose he could have inherited his wealth. Even if he did inherit it, we know that most children from wealthy families do pretty well on their own. Whether he inherited his wealth or was a successful businessman, his success brought him a measure of status in his community because Luke tells us he was a “ruler.”
It’s unlikely that a Roman official would approach Jesus with a religious question, so the “rich young ruler” was probably a Jewish leader in the local synagogue or perhaps even a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish court that dealt with religious issues in Jesus’ day.
Something is Missing
Success? Check. Status? Check. I think we can also say he was sincere. According to Mark, the man runs to Jesus and bows before Him. This was not some Jewish religious leadership set up of Jesus. No, this is not how they operated. In Mark’s gospel, the Scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees just show up and start questioning Jesus (see Mark 2 and Mark 7).
Mark says the man both ran and knelt indicating he was sincerely seeking wisdom and an answer to his question. But, we also learn of his sincerity in his keeping of the law. Listen to the conversation again:
17 As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (That’s a sincere question)
18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good. 19 But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother’.”
20 “Teacher,” the man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.”
The young man was a sincere seeker after truth. By every account, here was a man that had success, status in the community and financial security who was truly sincere in matters of faith. He was a good man seeking to do the right thing and live a good life.
And yet, something was missing. All of that was not enough. Let me say it another way: This man had achieved all he could hope to achieve. It was not enough. He was lacking in a world of plenty. I wonder if we don’t often find ourselves in the same position? Could it be that we, like him, have everything the world says should be enough…yet still walk away empty?
Personally, as a businessman, I know how easy it is to depend on the balance sheet and the P&L statement to define success and my achievement. I did the same thing when I was in full-time ministry.
Success is the measure of a man. Sincerity is a gauge for our goodness. Both are far from reality. The truth is we want to be achievers, not believers. We think we can achieve our salvation, and we do so through success and sincerity. None of our achievements merit salvation. Even the most sincere among us can be sincerely wrong.
A Little Love Goes a Long Way
I love Jesus’s response to him. Here’s that little detail Mark includes, which is so unlike Mark. Mark is a “just the facts” kind of guy. Mark’s inclusion of this detail signifies (I think) its importance. Verse 21 says, “Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him.”
Genuine love! Jesus responded to him with love. It is in love that Jesus corrects us all, and it is in love that Jesus invites us all. 1 John 3:16 says, “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up His life for us.”
Jesus wasn’t angry with the man. Jesus heard the man’s question and saw the man’s need, so He responds, “Here’s what you lack…go sell your stuff…give it to the poor…come, follow Me” (Lynn paraphrase).
Here’s the sad part: Mark tells us the man went away sad because he had great wealth. Yes, he had stuff. He had success. He had status. He had security. He even had sincerity. The one thing he lacked? Surrender! The man just couldn’t let go.
Jesus uses the man’s departure as a teaching moment for His disciples. Jesus says, “Hey guys. Do you know how hard it is for a rich person to make it into the Kingdom? It’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich person to enter the Kingdom” (another Lynn paraphrase).
Let’s set aside the “camel and eye of the needle” for now. Focus on that and we miss the point. That’s called majoring in the minors. The point Jesus is teaching his disciples is the difficulty of anyone entering the Kingdom of God.
And, the disciples get the point! “If that’s the case, who can be saved?” It’s the same question the man was asking. So, Jesus brings the point home in verse 27: “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.”
And, there it is. The key to eternal life…for the man in the encounter…for the disciples…and ultimately, for us, too. Everything is possible with God!
Surrendering the Good for the Best
That which is missing for us who live in a land of plenty is surrender. Surrender to the Lordship of Christ. We’re all good people. We’re generally successful folks. Most of us have a good measure of financial security and we have sincerely sought to be good people…to do the right thing for the right reason. But we wonder, “Am I saved?” “Will I make it to the Kingdom?” There’s something unsettled in our spirits and we can’t quite put our finger on it.
Success. Status. Security. Sincerity. Those are all good things. Not a bad thing in the bunch. They are, however, not enough. One thing we lack: surrender.
The man loved good things more than he loved Jesus. There is the sin in this encounter. No, it wasn’t a sin that would make us go, “Oh! No! How could he?” Sin is much more subtle than that. It slips up on us and catches us unaware…so much so that we think it isn’t even sin.
The man kept the law. He wanted to keep control, too. Control rarely feels like control to us. It feels like responsibility. Yet, it kept him from following Jesus. What a shame. Letting a good thing keep him from the best thing.
Our success and our sincerity are never enough for our salvation. Salvation never comes until we surrender to Jesus. Surrender all the things that hinder us from following Him. There is no salvation apart from surrender. Don’t misunderstand me. Salvation is not a transaction. We are not saved because we surrender perfectly — we are saved because we trust the One who surrendered Himself for us.
We hold in our grasp many great and wonderful things…things we’ve worked hard for…things we’ve attained. They mean a lot to us. They are good and wonderful things. They are not the greatest thing, though, and in order to grasp the greatest thing, we have to let go of the good things.
Surrender is not dramatic first. It is directional. It is this: Lord, You get final say:
- Over my money.
- Over my schedule.
- Over my reputation.
- Over my ambitions.
- Over my security.
- Over my success.
We cannot save ourselves. Our success will not be enough. Our status will not be enough. Our security will not be enough. Our sincerity will not be enough. But what is impossible with us is possible with God. God has done for us what we could never do for ourselves. Fully. Finally. In Jesus Christ. Jesus is enough!
So, we do not achieve eternal life. We receive it. We trust Him.
The man walked away sad. We don’t have to walk away sad because Jesus is all the enough we’ll ever need.
Until next time, keep looking up…
Not the Perfect Pastor 