Mark 10:17-23
Jesus loved this rich young aristocrat. But, did Jesus love this man the same as He loves His own kids? I would contend that He did not. God cannot even look upon sin, let alone love it. And if we truly believe that we are born dead in sin (Col. 2:13), then we must admit that we are dead through and through - heart and body, and that there is nothing else about us to love. We are actually called the enemy of God in Romans 5:10. This means God is at war with us, and we are at war with Him and His kingdom. Jesus' love for this man was the love He tells us to have for our enemies, the love He had for the "world" in John 3:16 - meaning it is a love that is a choosing to do good in spite of being despised, rejected, scorned, mistreated, misunderstood, and murdered. It is a love based upon the grace of God and not upon the recipients' worthiness. But did Jesus' love for that young man signify his acceptance into God's eternal kingdom, or that he was now at peace with God (rather than at war)? No! We are told that the young man "went away sorrowful". Jesus can only tenderly, redemptively, intimately love His own, because we are the only ones who are positionally perfect through the grace-empowered, legally binding transfer of Jesus Christ's righteousness to us the moment we believe in Jesus (justification). Was Jesus worthy of God's love? Yes! Because He lived as a perfect human being, because He was also God. Do we ever deserve God's love? Absolutely not! If God were to love us because we try really hard, or because we keep the law pretty well, or because we go to church or read our Bible 10 hours a day, then He certainly would have redemptively loved this young man all the way to eternal life! Yet Jesus told him he still lacked something - Jesus couldn't just decide to savingly love that man just because He "wanted" to (as we humanly think of "want"). He could only love him if the Perfect Mediator's righteousness was between him and God, and He was that Mediator! (1 Tim. 2:5) So, it was absolutely the most loving thing for Jesus to say to that man, "sell all you have and come follow me", because "I'm your Perfect Mediator! I'm your righteousness! I'm your only hope for peace with God!
That act of love was astoundingly free of any desire for personal gain on Jesus' part - He already knew that man was going to turn and walk away from His offer for eternal life. Jesus knew what was ahead for that young man, more than any human being ever could, because He was about to suffer separation from God the Father Himself, as He took His punishing wrath for that man's sin. Jesus knew that only His own substitutionary death on the cross would make peace with God available to that foolish, self-righteous young man, and it was only His familial, intimate love for His Father, God, that motivated Him to go to the cross to die for a young man who would choose to remain His enemy (Heb. 12:2). I'd call an invitation to trade all my worthless short-term treasures for the one big eternal Treasure quite an astounding offer, wouldn't you?! But that young man didn't see it that way, so he just walked away from the best "deal" anyone could have ever offered him.
This biblical account of the rich young ruler is a warning to us that though we keep the whole law, yet if we offend in one point, we are guilty of breaking all of it (James 2:10). That young man went away sorrowful, because He didn't see the complete worthlessness of his own treasures (good works, law-keeping, pedigree, earthly possessions), which then blinded him to the astounding magnificence of the offer laid before him. If that young man would have believed Jesus' assessment of him that he was lacking in one thing - complete righteousness before holy God, and would have grabbed by faith the gift being offered him at that moment, his life would have been turned upside down! But, because he did not see himself as bad enough to need the kind of radical salvation that Jesus offered him (a salvation that would have made him no longer at war with the God of the universe, that would have made him totally "good" and righteous in God's eyes (even though he hadn't lived a completely "good" and righteous life), that would have given him not just an earthly pedigree and riches, but would have made him the adopted son and heir of the Great King, the owner of all the riches of this world as well as those of the next, and would have made it possible for him to live a life that was truly pleasing to God, without the demands of the law), then he was blinded to the preciousness and value of that gift. He couldn't imagine the compelling power of God's grace once he believed the gospel (that's faith), to willingly "sell all he had" in exchange for that one Pearl of Great Price Who could have graced him with the righteousness of Christ, and thus with eternal life. Consequently, that man is now forever separated from the presence of the Lord, in a place of eternal torment, because of that one choice to turn away from the only hope He ever had.
God's grace towards us as believers compels us to put away sin in our lives and live for the glory of God - loving God and loving people as our motivation for life (2 Cor. 5:14; Titus 2:11-14).
God's grace towards the unbeliever says, "Come to me, and I will be your Savior; I will give you the power to no longer sin" (Matt. 11:28-29; Rom. 6:1-4).
Are you sick to death of your own way, always wondering whether you've done enough? Are you willing to believe God's assessment of the true condition of your heart and soul today? (Rom. 3:23; Jer. 17:9; Rom. 3:10) Are you willing to "sell all you have" (repent of every belief that there is anything other than Jesus' righteousness that can give you peace with God. Repent of trying to earn salvation. Repent of trying to earn God's love if you are already His child. Repent of thinking your sin is too great for God to forgive. Repent of thinking your sin is not that big a deal.) and by faith in Jesus' righteousness, come follow Him?
The rich young man is not rich anymore, so the riches he chose were pretty shabby at best. Child of God, which riches will you choose today? Will you choose one fleeting lifetime of continuously sorrowing unto repentance over your sin and continuously running to the Savior who is able to sanctify you? Are you living out the belief that there are eternal rewards awaiting those who live humbly before God, and that God richly rewards those who diligently seek Him? Or will you choose the short-term riches of this world, but lose your eternal rewards?
"Moses chose "rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward...because he saw Him who was invisible." Heb. 11:25-27
"For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death." 2 Cor. 7:10
"For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?" Mark 8:36
"He [Jesus] is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them." Heb. 7:25
“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven." Luke 6:20-23
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matt. 11:28-30
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