Mark 10:17-22 New International Version
The Rich and the Kingdom of God
17 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?”
18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 19 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.’[a]” 20 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
21 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.”
22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Tuesday - October 12
This man seems very sincere. He runs to Jesus. He gets down on his knees before Jesus. He has tried to live a righteous life according to God’s Law. But he wants to make sure he hasn’t missed something. He is desperate for a teaching from Jesus to help him make sure that he will be “in” God’s kingdom. But Jesus does something to reveal that he has not and is not actually keeping God’s Law. In the 1st Commandment God demanded that we have no other gods or idols that we worship or place our hope and trust in. This man’s hope and trust was in his wealth and prosperity. Would you still believe in God if all your health, wealth, and prosperity was taken away? Those are not bad. But do we trust them more than the words of Jesus?