a rich young ruler meets a rich young ruler

The Word for today:
Mark 10:17-31

Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"
So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Do not defraud,' 'Honor your father and your mother.' "
And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth."
Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me."
But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. (Mark 10:17-22)



One day, a rich young man met a poor young man.

The poor man was Jesus. We don't know the rich man's name, so over the years Bible scholars have called him "the rich young ruler." As they spoke, Jesus looked upon him with both sadness and love.

Jesus spoke patiently, attempting to draw the very best out of him. He steered him toward understanding--that only God is good; that we cannot meet the high demands of the law by our own efforts.

Then Jesus invited the young man to follow him:

“Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me."

But to follow Jesus would have cost him too much:

So he went away very sad, for he had great possessions.

***

Once upon a time there was another rich young ruler. He ruled the whole universe, because the whole universe was his.

One day he found his Father brooding, looking over a world far away. He and his Father shared the same Spirit, so the rich young ruler knew what he had to do:

"I will go. I will seek them and save them and bring them home."

His Father looked at him with both sadness and love, all mixed up together. "You'd have to give up everything to do that," He said.

"And so would you, Father."

So it happened that both of them gave away everything they possessed:

The Father so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

The Son made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:7-8).

Then, just as he promised, he went in search of his lost brothers and sisters and led them back home.

Overwhelmed with joy, his Father highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name (Philippians 2:9).

Thus it came to be that the rich young ruler who gave it all away, now has more treasure in heaven than ever there was before.

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