GOSPEL MEDITATION # 208
Mark 10:17-31
The Rich Young Man
- Find a quiet place, alone and apart from distractions.
- Be comfortably alert, still and at peace.
- Say the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer.
- Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself.
- Carefully read the passage of Scripture. Reread it.
- From memory, determine the central points.
- “Good Teacher” – “Good” is a term Jews used of God. Jesus wanted to know if the man was referring to Him as deity. Jesus continues not really expecting a reply. It may be assumed the phrase was intended to flatter Jesus.
- Jesus lists seven of the 10 commandments from Exodus 20:1-17 leaving out the first three which are focused on the proper relationship toward God rather than the seven which have to do with proper action toward others.
- Shockingly, the man claims to be keeping all of the seven.
- Jesus looked at the man, loved him, and the word is agape in the aorist tense meaning an immediate concern for him, one which transcended temporal well being.
- Jesus could see what the trouble was – the man wanted approval for his right acting and that was all. His religion taught him such made him fit for heaven.
- Jesus’ reply cut to the heart of the matter; the pride of wealth and the accompanying power that provided. The man would not give it up. Eternity in the presence of God did not mean much to him.
- “Follow me” would mean leaving all behind. Sadly, the man went away, retaining all his wealth and losing all he would ever have.
- The eye of a needle, in Luke the needle of a surgeon, no possibility of getting through such, an example of Jesus’ hyperbole, makes the story memorable. “How difficult” and twice, the emphasis is clear.
- Nothing a human can do is enough. God alone saves.