Mark 10:17 “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?’”
When the rich young ruler approached Jesus, what did Jesus see in him? Was it the potential of his energy and money, and what they could do for the kingdom? Hardly. Was it the influence he could exert on his peers to attend church? No. Perhaps what Jesus saw behind this man’s clothing and clout was years of insecurity and fruitless searching for life’s meaning. Although he had youth, money, and power, he wasn’t immune to the deeper diseases of the soul.
Most assuredly, Jesus saw a man in great need of true wealth and meaning. But the man could not relinquish his possessions. Captivated by the things he’d amassed, he reduced life to immaterial things—monuments dedicated to who he pretended to be, and like all monuments, these too would tarnish with time.
This man’s soul was searching for internal comfort and security, and he turned to Jesus. In Him, he saw true wealth, the boundless treasures of peace of mind and spirit. Yet this rich young man turned away from Jesus, and left bankrupt—no hope, no future, and no life except in his riches, which would soon be gone.
Don’t be like this young man, who, we can assume, lost more than his toys in the end. He lost his way. Do you want to be rich today? Do you want to experience the best that life has to offer? Then take a lesson from the rich man: recognize your poverty and run to Jesus, and follow Him all the way to true treasure—eternity in heaven!
– Pastor Jack
Click here to read all of Jack Hibbs’ Weekly Devotionals at Real Life with Jack Hibbs.
