The ruler had everything going for
him. Position. Wealth. Moral living. He'd checked all the boxes society told
him mattered. When Jesus reminds him of the commandments, he confidently
responds, "All these I have kept from my youth."
By all appearances, he was the
model citizen and believer. But Jesus sees through the facade to the one thing
holding this man's heart captive. Jesus says to the ruler, "One thing you
still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will
have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."
On the surface, this man had it
all—wealth, position, and moral standing. For Heaven’s sake, he'd kept the commandments since his youth! But
Jesus, as He always does, looked deeper.
We're told the man walked away sad,
"for he was extremely rich." In that moment, he revealed what he
truly worshipped. His wealth wasn't just something he possessed—it possessed
him. His treasure wasn't just in his possessions—his identity and security were
wrapped up in them.
The Impossible Made Possible
Jesus then delivers one of his most
memorable metaphors: "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a
needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God." His listeners
are stunned. If the wealthy—those seemingly blessed by God—couldn't be saved,
who could? Jesus' answer cuts to the heart of the Gospel: "What is
impossible with man is possible with God."
This isn't just about money. It's
about whatever we clutch so tightly that we can't open our hands to receive
what God offers. For some, it's wealth. For others, it's reputation,
relationships, comfort, or control.
Salvation isn't something we
achieve through moral perfection or social status. It's not about what we
can do, but about what God has done! The tight grip we have on our earthly
treasures—whether money, status, relationships, or control—must be released so
our hands are free to grasp what truly matters.
The Reward of Surrender
When Peter pointed out that the
disciples had left everything to follow Jesus, unlike the rich ruler, they
chose surrender over security. And Jesus’ response didn't dismiss or downplay their sacrifice. Instead, He promises,
"There is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or
children, for the sake of the Kingdom of God, who will not receive many times
more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life."
The math of the Kingdom often seems
backward to our worldly calculations. Give up to gain. Surrender to receive.
Die to self to truly live. What looks like loss in the world's eyes becomes
immeasurable gain in God's economy.
The Question We All Must Answer
Today, Jesus asks each of us the
same question He posed to the rich ruler: What's the one thing you're holding
onto that's keeping you from fully following Him? What are you holding onto
today that might be hindering your full commitment to Christ? What's the
"one thing you still lack"?
For some, it's financial security.
For others, it's reputation or comfort. Whatever it is, Jesus asks us to
release our grip on these temporary treasures to embrace the eternal treasure
of knowing Him.
The rich ruler couldn't imagine
life without his wealth. But Jesus offered him something far greater—true
treasure found only in following Him wholeheartedly. Christ came that we might
have life abundantly. But in order to grasp that abundant life, we must first
release our grip on lesser treasures.
As Jesus said in John 10:10, He
came that we "may have life and have it abundantly." But this
abundant life only comes when we're willing to let go of our vision of
abundance to embrace His.
So, what's Jesus asking you to
surrender today? And remember, what seems impossible with man is possible with
God.
