Let’s try and picture the scene. Jesus and his band of disciples are about to leave Judea and head towards Jerusalem. This is the Young Man’s last chance to ask Jesus the question that has been troubling him. He’s done his best to lead a good life but he senses there is something missing. Perhaps he’s watched Jesus healing people and seen the love and the joy and the peace that he exudes, and realised that he is lacking something.
He’s sure that Jesus will be able to answer his question so possibly wearing expensive robes – we don’t know but certainly he is identifiable as someone who has wealth - he goes running up to him and as Mark tells us, falls on his knees before him on the dusty ground.
Pride isn’t his problem. He asks Jesus in all sincerity what he must do to inherit eternal life.
He’s not trying to catch Jesus out as others have done. He is genuine.
Jesus asks him why he calls him good as there is no one to whom the word good can accurately be ascribed apart from God. In a strange sort of way I think he is asking the rich young man or ruler as Luke calls him, if he recognises who he is speaking to?
The rich young man is kneeling before and talking to God, the one who created him and the one who knows and loves him most of all, but he doesn’t recognise this as he is still spiritually blind.
Jesus refers him to the ten commandments and the rich young man assures him that he’s kept these since he was a boy.
Certainly he’s a moral person who’s done his best to lead a good life.
At this point Mark tells us that Jesus looks at the young man and loves him.
Jesus heart goes out to him. He is filled with compassion towards him. Here is a sincere and humble young man who has done his best to lead a moral life but sadly that isn’t enough to receive eternal life.
Jesus sees immediately the root of his problem, the thing that is blocking him from receiving the life of his kingdom.
One thing you lack says Jesus, go, sell everything you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me.
Here is the answer to the young man’s question.
The thing that is causing him to miss out on eternal life is his attachment to his wealth.
This is why he feels spiritually empty and although he is doing his best to lead a good life, he still senses that he is missing something.
He must let go of his attachment to his wealth in order to receive God’s kingdom, and then he will feel spiritually fulfilled and at peace with God.
Notice the invitation that Jesus extends to him. “Then come and follow me.”
Jesus is inviting him to join his band of disciples, to be one of them.
It’s exactly the same invitation he gave to the other disciples.
Simon and Andrew and James and John left their fishing boats behind, and Matthew left his tax collector’s booth following the same invitation.
At this the young man’s face falls. Slowly he rises from his knees and goes away with a heavy heart.
He has much more than an old fishing boat or a tax collector’s booth to leave behind.
He has great wealth and status. Luke tells us he is a ruler. The Greek word means leader or official and was used of various Jewish leaders including those in charge of a synagogue and members of the Sanhedrin – the Jewish ruling council.
No doubt the rich young man realises that parting with his money will also mean letting go also of the status and influence that goes with it. It will mean letting go of his old life as he knows it, in order to embrace a new one.
What will his friends and family think if he gives away all his money and goes off to follow a travelling rabbi and his rag tag band of socially questionable followers?
As the young man slowly walks away Jesus comments how hard it is for rich people to enter the kingdom of God.
He makes the remark about a Camel passing through the eye of a needle. Some people claim that there was a narrow gateway in Jerusalem called the eye of the needle and that to pass through it camels had to take off their bags.
However there doesn’t seem to be any archeological evidence for this, so I think Jesus is simply using exaggeration here, as when for instance he says we should take the beam out of our own eye before trying to take a speck of dust out of someone else’s eye.
His point is that it is extremely difficult for the rich to reach a point in their lives where they want God more than they do their wealth.
The disciples are quite shocked. If this genuine humble and moral young man can’t be saved who can?
Jesus tells them that what may seem humanly impossible is possible for God. We’re not told what became of the rich young man. Perhaps one day he did reach a point in his life where he was prepared to let go of what the world could offer him and embrace instead what God could offer.
We don’t know.
But what about us? Are we so wrapped up in what the world can offer us that we’re failing to receive God’s kingdom. Like the rich young man perhaps we are leading fairly moral lives, and doing our best to be good people, perhaps coming to church and saying our prayers but we too sense that something is missing.
We see a life and faith in others that we don’t have ourselves. We hear Campbell speak of love and joy and peace and forgiveness but it doesn’t really resonate for us. If we’re truthful perhaps there is, deep down, an emptiness in our lives.
We’re materially very comfortable but somehow our lives lack real meaning and purpose.
If we were to fall on our knees before Jesus and ask him to diagnose our spiritual malaise I wonder what he’d pinpoint as our problem.
Perhaps it would be a love of money or perhaps an unhealthy attachment to some other worldy attraction.
Perhaps it’s a fear of what other people might think.
What would my friends and neighbours and even my family think if I really embraced Christianity?
Like with the rich young man, the pull of the world is stronger than the pull of God.
God comes into the lives of those who truly want him.
We need to welcome him into our lives with open arms not while we are trying to hold onto something else.
But if I were to do this would God ask me to give away all my money?
I think it is very unlikely. Money itself is not the problem. It is the importance we attach to it that is the problem. It is the love of money which is a root of all kinds of evil.
Ideally God wants us to be generous with our money and to be prepared to give some of it to others who have a need for it.
Money can make the world a very comfortable and alluring place to be whereas people tend to find God when they become dissatisfied with the world and what it can offer them.
This is why the poor, people in prison, and those struggling with life tend to find God more easily.
This is why tax collectors and sinners were attracted to Jesus message.
People for whom the world had little to offer and who had little in worldly terms to let go of.
People tend to seek and find God when the world loses its allure and life becomes a struggle.
We see this for instance in the story of the Prodigal son. It is only when he is reduced to eating pig food that he decides to return to his father.
The sad thing is that when we are focused purely on the world we lose sight of what is really important.
The world, the physical realm we live in, what we see around us with our physical eyes, will one day pass away, and cease to exist. The spiritual realm however will remain. As Paul says; What is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Worldy wealth and possessions will pass away. When we die we can’t take them with us.
If you look at this passage Jesus is offering this young man treasure in heaven, the opportunity to enter the kingdom of God and to be saved, and eternal life.
He offers him everything the world can’t offer him but the young man chooses temporary earthly pleasure and influence over eternal heavenly salvation.
Even more than this he misses out on finding purpose and meaning and spiritual fulfilment in this life.
When Peter points out to Jesus that they the disciples have left everything to follow him, Jesus assures them that not only will they receive eternal life in the age to come, but everything they have given up to follow him will be more than compensated for in this life.
Having a relationship with Jesus adds a new spiritual dimension to our lives – a dimension in which we can receive numerous spiritual blessings from God – love, joy, peace, forgiveness, healing, protection, joy, hope, contentment.
As we walk with God day by day and seek to extend his kingdom by loving others, he imparts spiritual blessings back to us. As Jesus said, give and you will receive. With the measure you use it will be measured back to you.
Until we find a relationship with God which is what we are designed for, our hearts remain restless. But when we find this relationship we become spiritually alive.
Radio waves are all around us but until we have an aerial that can receive these waves we are unaware of their existence.
Likewise God and the spiritual realm are all around us but until we are born of the spirit as Jesus puts it we
cannot see the kingdom of God. We remain spiritually blind.
However when we do say yes to God’s invitation to follow him, we discover this new spiritual dimension to life. We discover a whole new level of life, life in all its fullness as Jesus puts it.
We find that God exists and his name is Jesus. We find that the devil exists and that there is a battle going on in the heavenly realms between good and evil , between the kingdoms of light and darkness, and that we are called to fight in this battle on God’s side, to extend his kingdom.
We find that the bible is spiritually alive and that heaven and hell are real places that exist in the spiritual realm, the realm we will enter when we die.
Of course we must live in the world and fulfill our worldy responsibilities. We must earn a living and get the roof mended or the car fixed. We can still enjoy food and wine and hobbies and family life.
But at the same time our outlook on life will change
As Paul says; From now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.
I heard a couple of guys chatting in a shop the other day about how short life was and how important it was to enjoy it and to live for the moment, to live for one’s own pleasure.
The trouble is that those who do this frequently find that the world doesn’t deliver the fulfillment they were hoping for. Material possessions may make us comfortable but they don’t satisfy our inner hunger. And to live like this is to ignore God and the commandment to love Him.
But what about you?
Deep down are you dissatisfied with life and hungry for meaning and purpose?
Do you want to become spiritually alive as well as physically alive.
Do you want to know Jesus and have a relationship with him?
Do you want to find the purpose for which God created you?
Do you want the things that Jesus offers this young man – eternal life, salvation, to be a part of God’s kingdom, treasure in heaven?
If you do, invite God wholeheartedly into your life?
Let go of your attachment to whatever it is that has been holding you back or your fear of what other people may think. What God thinks is infinitely more important.
Tell God that you want life in all its fullness and embrace his offer?
Say yes Lord Jesus I will follow you.
Let’s pray
Jesus is here now by his spirit.
Perhaps he is issuing that invitation to follow him to you now.
Perhaps it’s one that you’ve hesitated to accept in the past but today you would like to accept.
If you would, just say yes in your heart now to Jesus and invite him in to your life.
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