The Pilgrim Path---Mark 10: 17—31 

And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher. What must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, ‘Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said to him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.” And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “how difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! 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.” And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundred-fold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

A MAN RAN UP AND KNELT…

An incredible episode from the ministry of our LORD and Savior Jesus. It is rather apparent that the wealthy young man had already made up his mind about quite a few things even before coming to Christ---but he came anyway. The Holy Spirit records this encounter to keep telling us things about the human heart---some of which are very unflattering (but necessary).

---You can come to Jesus---without coming to Jesus…

---You can think you have kept the commandments---and probably have no real idea of the breadth of their meaning…

---You may worship idols and not be aware of it…

---You may be “made” aware of your idolatry---and choose to remain captive for a time (the young man walked away “loving” money and things---more than he loved Jesus)

---You may genuinely underestimate the “power” of money and things (how they grip the heart)

---You must “see” the marvel of verse 21: The LORD Jesus revealed a love for this man---He loved this sin-sick-soul! Help me LORD---I do not often show this love of Jesus for lost people with as great a zeal as I should!

---You cannot doubt that the LORD Jesus is still in the “impossible” business…

“Jesus loved the young ruler who came to him to enquire about the way to heaven. He wished for the love of God but loved this world too. He had a vain conceit of his own righteousness, and at the same time an excessive love of money. Rather than renounce the pleasant things of this life, he quit his pretenses to a life to come, and went away grieved. Jesus called him to be his disciple and gave him a promise of everlasting riches if he would comply with his proposal, but he made haste to willful destruction. The young man’s beauty and youth, strength, and riches, and all this with the embellishments of many forms of godliness and shinning outward virtues, could not obtain eternal life. If a man thus qualified and adorned prefers earth to heaven and loves the possessions of this world above spiritual treasures, he abides in a state of condemnation and death. Grace is not a flower that grows in the field of nature, nor does it grow out of the heart of man. It is a divine seed. It is planted in our hearts by the Spirit of God (John 1: 13).” Isaac Watts

Let me seek you in longing,

And long for you in seeking.

Let me find you in love,

And love you in finding.

Anselm (c. 1033—1109), PROSLOGION

From Samuel Rutherford: You must learn to make evils your great good, and to spin out comforts, peace, joy, communion with Christ, out of your troubles, that are Christ’s wooers to speak for you to himself.

Grace and Peace in Jesus Christ, the only Redeemer of broken and wretched souls, Pastor Jason