A SOUL SEARCHING
QUESTION
Why did he go away from Jesus with
sadness rather than with joy? Because His treasure and his hope for true joy
were misplaced.
Today's passage
from the Gospel of Mark is often referred to as the parable of the "rich
young man." This young man seeks to know what is needed in order to
inherit eternal life. Seeing Jesus, he runs to Him and kneels down before Him.
In answer to his soul searching question, Jesus recites six of the
Commandments. However, the young man is looking for more, for he has kept all
these laws since he was a boy.
Motivated by love,
Jesus looks at him straight in the eye and recommends that he sells all of his
possessions, giving them to those most in need. Disheartened by this response,
the man walks away from Jesus Christ, downcast and very saddened. The answer he
has received is not what he was looking for. Even though he kept the
Commandments throughout his life, Jesus spoke to the trouble in his heart. One
thing kept him from giving himself whole-heartedly to God - materialism.
While he was
lacking nothing in material things, he was nonetheless possessive of what he
owned. He placed his hope and security in physical things, rather than
spiritual. So when Jesus Christ challenged him to make God his one true
possession and treasure, he turned and walked away. Why did he go away from
Jesus with sadness rather than with joy? Because His treasure and his hope for
true joy were misplaced.
What do we most set
our hearts on?