The Man Who Had Too Much

We are grateful for another opportunity to come to the Lord's Table. As we prepare our hearts to come to the Supper, I want to open up the story of the rich young ruler as it is recorded in Mark's gospel. This man came to Jesus with the most important question a person can ask: “What must I do to be saved?” That is, “How can I get into heaven when I die?” Well, Jesus answered the question, but in a round about manner. However, by answering in this way we are given insight into the innermost recesses of the human heart. After the initial question posed by the young man, Jesus redirected his attention to greater issues. Following that the Lord began probing the man's heart with His own questions. The man expressed great confidence in the fact that he had kept the law of God all his life. We know, of course, that such a claim is ludicrous. But Jesus didn't tell him that. Rather, He went even deeper and challenged the man to sell all of his possessions. In doing so, the Lord exposed the real problem. Unfortunately, the man departed without closing with Jesus. Let's reflect upon the fact that Jesus demands we give up all our idols to follow Him.