Rich Young Ruler

I was thinking tonight about the story of the rich young ruler.

Mark 10:17-23

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: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall 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!”

Jesus gave the rich young ruler the same choice that he gave his other disciples.  Drop everything you have and “follow me”.  While Peter and Andrew seemed to easily drop everything this man couldn’t. 

This passage says that Jesus looked at him and loved him.  Then he told him he needed to give away all his stuff.  Jesus could see that while this man was obedient, his heart was taken by material things.  It says the man couldn’t do it and went away sad.

What if he had made a different choice?  What if he had decided to give it all away and follow Jesus?  Would he have been one of the disciples?  Would his name be in the scriptures?   I wonder what opportunities he missed out on because he chose not to follow Jesus.  I wonder what plans Jesus had for him.  I wonder what his life could have been like.  Scripture doesn’t mention him again.  It is possible that he eventually followed Christ.  It is also possible that he didn’t and that he died in his sin.

What regrets do you have?  What things has God told you to do and you didn’t obey?  It is easy to criticize this man but we are all just like him. 

Make a decision starting today to live with no regrets.  Give it all to Jesus.  Trust him to take care of everything you need.  Don’t get to the end of you life and look back and think, if only I had ….