One Thing You Lack

Mark 10:21

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What must I do to get inherit eternal life? That was the question that a man had for Jesus. He ran up to Jesus, fell down in front of him. What must do to get eternal life? Jesus could see that this man thought that he could earn eternal life. And so Jesus told him, obey the commandments. The man ended up saying that he’d kept all of the commandments since he was a child. Mark tells us that Jesus looked at that man. And he loved him. He could see what the man was lacking. And wanted to provide it. He told him in Mark chapter 10.

One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Mark 10:21)

Jesus, because he is true, God could look straight into the heart of that man. And he saw that he had a big sin. The love of money. And so, Jesus, to cut to the heart, to get to the chief point of the issue, drew that sin out for that man to see. And we’re told that when he saw it, he was very sad. He went away because he had great wealth. Jesus saw that man’s need to see his sin. He thought, that is the man, thought that he was doing a good job of being a good person. He loved his parents. He hadn’t killed anyone. He hadn’t committed adultery or stolen anything. And so he thought he was good with God.

But Jesus could see his desperate situation. That he actually loved something more than he loved God. He loved money. So Jesus showed him his idolatry. So that he could repent. We could go into a long discourse here on the proper use of money, but that’s not really the point. The point was this man had a sin that he didn’t recognize. Jesus, where to look into your heart? What would he reveal to you about what’s in there?

Maybe you love gossiping more than you love God. Maybe you like lying more than you love God. Maybe you’ve got hatred that so easily festers in your heart, causes you to be angry, maybe to hold grudges against others wanting to get even with them. What sin would Jesus reveal to you? Jesus would reveal that because he loves you. Because he wants you to see your sins so that you don’t have any hope of saving yourself because then you realize I need someone to save me.

Jesus offered that to that man that day. But he said, sell everything you have. Then come follow me. Whatever your sin is, that invitation is for you to. You can follow Jesus by trusting that his life and his death have atoned for all of your sins. No matter what sin is dwelling in your heart, no matter what sin your hands have committed in the outside world can see, Jesus is a greater Savior than you are a sinner. Come follow him. Trust that he has died for you. And that because of his death and resurrection. God forgives you and loves you.

May God’s love and forgiveness in Jesus give you a true and lasting peace as you follow Jesus all the way to heaven. Amen.