Their eyes were now opened and they saw not only good but evil. They were overwhelmed by their shame and sought a way to cover their guilt. They had eaten the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and their shameful nakedness was exposed, so they looked for help from a different tree. They chose a fig tree not for its fruit but for it’s leaf. They stripped the tree of leaves and, with a skill born from necessity, they sewed the leaves together. But when they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, they knew that they needed more than leaves to conceal their guilt. So they hid themselves from Him among the trees.
As Jesus was approaching Jerusalem during Passover Week He saw in the distance a fig tree covered with leaves. But the value of a fig tree for a hungry man is not its leaves but in its fruit, and this fig tree had no fruit; only leaves. Just as the effort of the guilty pair could not be covered by the sewn leaves of the fig tree, a fig tree full of leaves but no fruit could not satisfy the hunger that Jesus had. Jesus spoke to the fig tree and said, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” Early the next day they found the tree withered from the roots up.
Adam and Eve had sought to cover their guilt by their own efforts, and in a similar way the celebration of Passover had become that for the Jews. The Passover had become a ritual. Jeremiah the prophet had warned about treating sin superficially. He had spoken of how God’s people had covered their shame and were no longer humiliated by their rebellion against God. The consequence was there would be “no figs on the fig tree, and even the leaf will wither” (Jeremiah 8:13). As Jesus approached Jerusalem the prophecy concerning the fig tree was fulfilled.
Adam and Eve hid from God among the trees after their rebellion. They had tried to hide their shame with fig leaves but, “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (Hebrews 9:22). “The Lord God made clothing out of skins for Adam and his wife, and He clothed them” (Genesis 3:21), and so something had to die to clothe their guilt. The feast of the Passover was a memorial of when God set His people free from the bondage of Egypt by the blood of a lamb.
When Jesus began His ministry John the Baptist had cried out in a loud voice, “Behold, the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!” Jesus had said that if He were lifted up He would draw all men to Himself. How was He lifted up? It was on a tree. What began in the garden that caused Adam and Eve to hide among the trees was ended when Jesus hung naked upon the tree, taking on all our sin and shame. No fig tree could accomplish what the tree of Calvary accomplished. On that tree the true knowledge of the goodness of God and the price of evil was fully known!
*There will be a tree whose leaves will be for the healing of the nations. It’s not the fig tree it’s the “The Tree of Life” (Revelation 22:2)!
Friday, December 20, 2019
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
The Triumphant Entry! (Mark 11:1-11, Revelation 19:11-16)
“Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7). “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king comes to you; righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9).
All of Jerusalem was making preparations for the Passover. Lambs were being chosen for sacrifice. All was being made ready to celebrate and to remember the night when the angel of death passed over the homes where the blood of the lamb has been applied to the doorpost. This was the feast of God where they were to remember how God had set them free from their bondage and slavery when they were in Egypt. They were set free by the blood of a sacrificial lamb. But they were not only to remember the past, they were also to look forward to a time when their Deliver would come, the promised Messiah.
We know now that it was the final week of Jesus’s life. Everything that unfolded that week had been foretold by the prophets. Jesus sent His disciples into the village and told them where to find the young donkey, on which no one has ever sat. They found everything just as Jesus had said. When they were asked why they were untying the donkey they responded as they had been instructed. “The Lord needs it.”
There was great rejoicing as Jesus rode into Jerusalem that day on the foal of a donkey! The words of Zechariah the prophet were being fulfilled. Many people were filled with expectation as they spread the leafy branches cut from the fields. They took off their robes and spread them on the road. Then those who went ahead and those who followed kept shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest heaven” (Mark 11:9,10, Psalm 118)! And so their hearts were filled with hope and their mouths with praise. But, Jesus wept.
A rabbinic tradition said that when the Messiah returned, if Jerusalem was not ready, he would ride on a donkey’s colt. When Jesus wept He said, “ Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, if only you had recognized your day of visitation!” Jesus rode into Jerusalem that day on a donkey’s colt and when He got to the temple complex He looked around at everything and then left and went to Bethany. The rabbinic tradition goes on to say that if Jerusalem was ready, the Messiah would ride on a white horse. We know from the prophecy in Revelation that there will be another triumphal entry, but this time Jesus will be riding on a white horse! “Now I saw the heavens opened, behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war” (Revelation 19:11). Get ready.
All of Jerusalem was making preparations for the Passover. Lambs were being chosen for sacrifice. All was being made ready to celebrate and to remember the night when the angel of death passed over the homes where the blood of the lamb has been applied to the doorpost. This was the feast of God where they were to remember how God had set them free from their bondage and slavery when they were in Egypt. They were set free by the blood of a sacrificial lamb. But they were not only to remember the past, they were also to look forward to a time when their Deliver would come, the promised Messiah.
We know now that it was the final week of Jesus’s life. Everything that unfolded that week had been foretold by the prophets. Jesus sent His disciples into the village and told them where to find the young donkey, on which no one has ever sat. They found everything just as Jesus had said. When they were asked why they were untying the donkey they responded as they had been instructed. “The Lord needs it.”
There was great rejoicing as Jesus rode into Jerusalem that day on the foal of a donkey! The words of Zechariah the prophet were being fulfilled. Many people were filled with expectation as they spread the leafy branches cut from the fields. They took off their robes and spread them on the road. Then those who went ahead and those who followed kept shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest heaven” (Mark 11:9,10, Psalm 118)! And so their hearts were filled with hope and their mouths with praise. But, Jesus wept.
A rabbinic tradition said that when the Messiah returned, if Jerusalem was not ready, he would ride on a donkey’s colt. When Jesus wept He said, “ Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, if only you had recognized your day of visitation!” Jesus rode into Jerusalem that day on a donkey’s colt and when He got to the temple complex He looked around at everything and then left and went to Bethany. The rabbinic tradition goes on to say that if Jerusalem was ready, the Messiah would ride on a white horse. We know from the prophecy in Revelation that there will be another triumphal entry, but this time Jesus will be riding on a white horse! “Now I saw the heavens opened, behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war” (Revelation 19:11). Get ready.
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
The Gift of Spiritual Sight (Mark 10:46-52) Part Two
She was blinded by grief. For so many years those around her recognized her as the woman whose actions were dictated by the seven demons who possessed her. But all that changed when she met Jesus. He alone truly saw her and had the power to set her free. Even though she watched as He was crucified, her loyalty never died. So she came to His burial site while it was still dark, but at the sight of the empty tomb her heart broke and she was blinded by her grief.
Through the blur of tears she saw the two angels when she stooped and looked into the tomb. They even spoke to her and asked why she was weeping. But everything in her world was being processed
through the lens of heartache and sorrow, so she responded to their question accordingly, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they have laid Him” (John 20:13). So great was her suffering that even when she encountered Jesus she didn’t recognize Him, but supposed Him to be a gardener.
Everything changed when He called her by name. “Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’” (John 20:16). When she finally recognized Him and turned to address Jesus, what did she call Him? What was the first title given to Jesus after the resurrection? It was “Rabboni,” which means “Teacher.” Rabboni is used only one other place in Scripture. It was used by Bartimaeus when Jesus gave him sight.
This is the last miracle that is recorded in the Gospel of Mark. Bartimaeus was a blind beggar, but when he heard that Jesus was passing by he began to beg for something other than money. He began to beg for mercy. Though his physical eyes were blind, his spiritual eyes recognized Jesus as “Son of David,” which was a messianic title. When Jesus asked what he wanted, he said, “Rabboni, let me recover my sight.” He had by faith cast aside his beggar’s cloak and run to Jesus.
Both Mary and Bartimaeus had received mercy. Both Mary and Bartimaeus had received sight. The word Rabboni not only means “Teacher,” it also means “Master.” I believe not only in a God who is mighty to save, but in One who knows my name. Jesus entered into our sufferings and answered our cry for mercy by giving us spiritual sight.
Through the blur of tears she saw the two angels when she stooped and looked into the tomb. They even spoke to her and asked why she was weeping. But everything in her world was being processed
through the lens of heartache and sorrow, so she responded to their question accordingly, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they have laid Him” (John 20:13). So great was her suffering that even when she encountered Jesus she didn’t recognize Him, but supposed Him to be a gardener.
Everything changed when He called her by name. “Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’” (John 20:16). When she finally recognized Him and turned to address Jesus, what did she call Him? What was the first title given to Jesus after the resurrection? It was “Rabboni,” which means “Teacher.” Rabboni is used only one other place in Scripture. It was used by Bartimaeus when Jesus gave him sight.
This is the last miracle that is recorded in the Gospel of Mark. Bartimaeus was a blind beggar, but when he heard that Jesus was passing by he began to beg for something other than money. He began to beg for mercy. Though his physical eyes were blind, his spiritual eyes recognized Jesus as “Son of David,” which was a messianic title. When Jesus asked what he wanted, he said, “Rabboni, let me recover my sight.” He had by faith cast aside his beggar’s cloak and run to Jesus.
Both Mary and Bartimaeus had received mercy. Both Mary and Bartimaeus had received sight. The word Rabboni not only means “Teacher,” it also means “Master.” I believe not only in a God who is mighty to save, but in One who knows my name. Jesus entered into our sufferings and answered our cry for mercy by giving us spiritual sight.
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
What Do You Want? (Mark 10:46-52) Part One
He had prestige, he had power, and he had wealth. But he wanted more, so he came to the man that he believed could help him achieve his goal. What was the goal that he was working towards? He wanted to know what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. How very different the rich young ruler was from Bartimaeus!
Bartimaeus was sitting on the side of the road while the large crowd went past him. He had nothing to contribute, nothing to give. He was simply begging. However, when he heard that Jesus the Nazarene was passing by him, a spark of hope lit up his dark world, and he began to cry out in faith that the Son of David, Jesus, would have mercy on him.
He represented nothing more than an irritation to those who had come to see this man they had heard so much about, so they tried to silence his cries. But though Bartimaeus’ physical eyes were blind, he recognized that Jesus was the messiah, and so he would not be silenced but continued to cry out for mercy! The crowd’s attitude changed when Jesus stopped and called for him. Irritation was replaced by anticipation as they told the blind man to have courage and get up because Jesus was calling for him. Now they were hoping to see a performance. Perhaps they would get to see Jesus heal the blind man.
The blind beggar had only one possession, his cloak. He could use this garment as a coat or as a blanket to protect himself from the cold. As a beggar he would use his cloak to catch the coins that might be thrown his way. However, when he heard that Jesus was calling him he threw it off, jumped up with anticipation, and came to Jesus. For a blind man to cast aside his cloak in a crowd is significant.
Both the rich young ruler and the blind beggar wanted something from Jesus. The rich young ruler wanted to know what he needed to do to earn eternal life. The blind man could do nothing but beg for mercy. Jesus invited the rich young ruler to leave his possessions and to come and follow Him. The poor beggar flung away the only thing he had because he was hoping to receive mercy. The rich young ruler went away grieving, but the blind beggar by faith received sight and joyfully followed Jesus.
Bartimaeus was sitting on the side of the road while the large crowd went past him. He had nothing to contribute, nothing to give. He was simply begging. However, when he heard that Jesus the Nazarene was passing by him, a spark of hope lit up his dark world, and he began to cry out in faith that the Son of David, Jesus, would have mercy on him.
He represented nothing more than an irritation to those who had come to see this man they had heard so much about, so they tried to silence his cries. But though Bartimaeus’ physical eyes were blind, he recognized that Jesus was the messiah, and so he would not be silenced but continued to cry out for mercy! The crowd’s attitude changed when Jesus stopped and called for him. Irritation was replaced by anticipation as they told the blind man to have courage and get up because Jesus was calling for him. Now they were hoping to see a performance. Perhaps they would get to see Jesus heal the blind man.
The blind beggar had only one possession, his cloak. He could use this garment as a coat or as a blanket to protect himself from the cold. As a beggar he would use his cloak to catch the coins that might be thrown his way. However, when he heard that Jesus was calling him he threw it off, jumped up with anticipation, and came to Jesus. For a blind man to cast aside his cloak in a crowd is significant.
Both the rich young ruler and the blind beggar wanted something from Jesus. The rich young ruler wanted to know what he needed to do to earn eternal life. The blind man could do nothing but beg for mercy. Jesus invited the rich young ruler to leave his possessions and to come and follow Him. The poor beggar flung away the only thing he had because he was hoping to receive mercy. The rich young ruler went away grieving, but the blind beggar by faith received sight and joyfully followed Jesus.
Saturday, December 7, 2019
Paradox (Mark 10:28-45)
When Peter spoke about all that he and the disciples had given up in order to follow Jesus, Jesus replied by assuring them that no one who had left house, brothers or sisters, mothers or fathers, children, or fields because of Him or the gospel would fail to be compensated one hundredfold now, and in the age to come eternal life. This conversation took place on the road to Jerusalem.
Jesus was leading the way, and those who were following Him were not only astonished, they were afraid. It is curious to me that after assuring His followers of the blessings that would be theirs as His followers, He now began to tell them what would happen to Him when He got to Jerusalem. “Listen! We are going up to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priest and the scribes, and they will condemn Him to death. Then they will mock Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him, and He will rise after three days” (Mark 10:33,34).
What was the response of Jesus’ followers to this sobering pronouncement? John and his brother James approached Jesus and asked Him for a favor. I think they must have still been thinking about what they would receive since they had given up their fishing boat and left their father Zebedee to follow Jesus. “Allow us to sit at Your right and Your left in Your glory” (Mark 10:37). Jesus didn’t rebuke them. Instead, He pointed out that they didn’t know what they were asking. The other disciples were furious when they heard what the two brothers had requested! They were indignant! But why were they indignant? I think it was because they all expected the place of honor. When Jesus had promised that they would receive 100 times more at this time—houses, brother and sisters, mothers and children, and fields—somehow they had missed the last thing Jesus had said, “with persecution.”
Jesus used this opportunity to teach them about the difference between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of men. “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles dominate them, and their men of high position exercise power over them. But it must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, whoever wants to be first among you must be a slave to all” (Mark 10:42-44).
There was the promise, but with it persecution, There was to be power executed with the heart of a servant. There was the fulfillment of the prophecies written in Isaiah. The disciples were going up to Jerusalem knowing that Jesus was the promised Messiah. They were hoping that finally Jesus would make His name known to their adversaries and that the nations would tremble at His presence! But their spiritual eyes had not yet been open and they couldn’t yet see that the king was coming as a man of sorrows. He had told them that He would be despised and rejected, but their spiritual ears had not been opened. They didn’t understand that in order for them to inherit the kingdom of God that the Messiah would first have to pour out His soul in death and be numbered with the transgressors. He was going to Jerusalem to bear the sins of many by His death on the cross. But there was also the promise of the resurrection. But as yet their spiritual eyes were blind and their spiritual ears were deaf.
Jesus was leading the way, and those who were following Him were not only astonished, they were afraid. It is curious to me that after assuring His followers of the blessings that would be theirs as His followers, He now began to tell them what would happen to Him when He got to Jerusalem. “Listen! We are going up to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priest and the scribes, and they will condemn Him to death. Then they will mock Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him, and He will rise after three days” (Mark 10:33,34).
What was the response of Jesus’ followers to this sobering pronouncement? John and his brother James approached Jesus and asked Him for a favor. I think they must have still been thinking about what they would receive since they had given up their fishing boat and left their father Zebedee to follow Jesus. “Allow us to sit at Your right and Your left in Your glory” (Mark 10:37). Jesus didn’t rebuke them. Instead, He pointed out that they didn’t know what they were asking. The other disciples were furious when they heard what the two brothers had requested! They were indignant! But why were they indignant? I think it was because they all expected the place of honor. When Jesus had promised that they would receive 100 times more at this time—houses, brother and sisters, mothers and children, and fields—somehow they had missed the last thing Jesus had said, “with persecution.”
Jesus used this opportunity to teach them about the difference between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of men. “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles dominate them, and their men of high position exercise power over them. But it must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, whoever wants to be first among you must be a slave to all” (Mark 10:42-44).
There was the promise, but with it persecution, There was to be power executed with the heart of a servant. There was the fulfillment of the prophecies written in Isaiah. The disciples were going up to Jerusalem knowing that Jesus was the promised Messiah. They were hoping that finally Jesus would make His name known to their adversaries and that the nations would tremble at His presence! But their spiritual eyes had not yet been open and they couldn’t yet see that the king was coming as a man of sorrows. He had told them that He would be despised and rejected, but their spiritual ears had not been opened. They didn’t understand that in order for them to inherit the kingdom of God that the Messiah would first have to pour out His soul in death and be numbered with the transgressors. He was going to Jerusalem to bear the sins of many by His death on the cross. But there was also the promise of the resurrection. But as yet their spiritual eyes were blind and their spiritual ears were deaf.
Thursday, December 5, 2019
All Things Are Possible With God (Mark 23-27)
The offer was accepted and she reached out and took what was forbidden. With her first bite her eyes were opened. Eyes that before had only seen the goodness of God now saw evil. With the knowledge of evil came the death of innocence. The curse was spoken and sorrow and grief were born. The creation that God had declared good now became infested with thorns. Man whom God had made in His image and declared to be “very good” was now destined to die and to return to the dust from which he had been formed. Cherubim were stationed with flaming, whirling swords to guard the way to the tree of life. Paradise was lost. It was now impossible for a sinful man to have access to a holy God. But with the curse a promise was given that one day a Deliverer would come. “With man it is impossible, but not with God, because all things are possible with God” (Mark 10:27).
Time passed, and the promise was given to Abraham that it would be through his descendants that the Deliverer would come. But the years came and went until hope was lost. Abraham and his wife Sarah were cursed with infertility. “But by faith even Sarah, when she was barren, received power to conceive, even though she was past the age, since she considered that the One who had promised was faithful.” “With man it is impossible, but not with God, because all things are possible with God” (Mark 10:27)
What happened to the descendants of Abraham through whom this promised Deliverer was to come? In only a short time they were in Egypt, bound as slaves to Pharaoh. Pharaoh, who was not only ruler of one of the most powerful nations on earth, but who was considered by others and by himself to be a god. Abraham’s descendants were in Egypt, powerless and without hope of ever being set free. “With man it is impossible, but not with God, because all things are possible with God” (Mark 10:27). After 400 years in Egypt God said to Moses, “I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments” (Exodus 6:6). How was deliverance accomplished? It was with the blood of a lamb and the death of the firstborn son.
For generations both the promise and the curse strove together until in the fullness of time the angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah. Again a woman past the time of childbearing, who had suffered with infertility, was to be the mother of a son. Next, Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her that she would conceive and give birth to a son, whom she was to call Jesus. Her son would be called Son of the most High, and He was to have a kingdom that would have no end. When Gabriel told Mary that her relative Elisabeth had conceived a son in her old age he added, “For nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37).
At last the promised Deliverer came. There was the pain of childbirth, but with it came the promise of hope. Jesus entered into a world that was enslaved by sin and sorrow. He heard the desperate cry of mothers and fathers who watched their children being destroyed and were helpless to save them. He stood at the grave of His friend and heard and felt the grief of death. The sweat of His brow became blood as He accomplished the work of salvation. The curse of thorns that infested the ground became a crown that He wore while on the cross. It was impossible for man to break the curse that came with the knowledge of evil. But what is impossible with man is possible with God. When Zechariah’s son John saw Jesus he proclaimed, “Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”
Jesus told His disciples that with men it was impossible for anyone to be saved. “So they were even more astonished, saying to one another, ‘Then who can be saved?’ Looking at them, Jesus said, ‘With men it is impossible, but not with God, because all things are possible with God” (Mark 10:26,27). So the curse has been broken and what was impossible has now been made possible by God. Now what is offered is not the knowledge of good and evil but a breaking of the curse that evil brought, and entrance into the Kingdom of God!
Time passed, and the promise was given to Abraham that it would be through his descendants that the Deliverer would come. But the years came and went until hope was lost. Abraham and his wife Sarah were cursed with infertility. “But by faith even Sarah, when she was barren, received power to conceive, even though she was past the age, since she considered that the One who had promised was faithful.” “With man it is impossible, but not with God, because all things are possible with God” (Mark 10:27)
What happened to the descendants of Abraham through whom this promised Deliverer was to come? In only a short time they were in Egypt, bound as slaves to Pharaoh. Pharaoh, who was not only ruler of one of the most powerful nations on earth, but who was considered by others and by himself to be a god. Abraham’s descendants were in Egypt, powerless and without hope of ever being set free. “With man it is impossible, but not with God, because all things are possible with God” (Mark 10:27). After 400 years in Egypt God said to Moses, “I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments” (Exodus 6:6). How was deliverance accomplished? It was with the blood of a lamb and the death of the firstborn son.
For generations both the promise and the curse strove together until in the fullness of time the angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah. Again a woman past the time of childbearing, who had suffered with infertility, was to be the mother of a son. Next, Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her that she would conceive and give birth to a son, whom she was to call Jesus. Her son would be called Son of the most High, and He was to have a kingdom that would have no end. When Gabriel told Mary that her relative Elisabeth had conceived a son in her old age he added, “For nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37).
At last the promised Deliverer came. There was the pain of childbirth, but with it came the promise of hope. Jesus entered into a world that was enslaved by sin and sorrow. He heard the desperate cry of mothers and fathers who watched their children being destroyed and were helpless to save them. He stood at the grave of His friend and heard and felt the grief of death. The sweat of His brow became blood as He accomplished the work of salvation. The curse of thorns that infested the ground became a crown that He wore while on the cross. It was impossible for man to break the curse that came with the knowledge of evil. But what is impossible with man is possible with God. When Zechariah’s son John saw Jesus he proclaimed, “Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”
Jesus told His disciples that with men it was impossible for anyone to be saved. “So they were even more astonished, saying to one another, ‘Then who can be saved?’ Looking at them, Jesus said, ‘With men it is impossible, but not with God, because all things are possible with God” (Mark 10:26,27). So the curse has been broken and what was impossible has now been made possible by God. Now what is offered is not the knowledge of good and evil but a breaking of the curse that evil brought, and entrance into the Kingdom of God!
Monday, December 2, 2019
The Goodness of God and Eternal Life (Mark 10:17-22)
The definition of identity is who you are, the way you think about yourself, the way you are viewed by the world, and the characteristics that define you.* In the book of Mark there was a man who came and knelt before Jesus. We don’t know his name, only his identity. He was rich, he was young, and he was a ruler. He identified Jesus as “Good Teacher,” and I believe he also saw himself as good. He wanted to know how to be good enough to inherit eternal life.
Jesus responded to his question with a question, “Why do you call me good? Then He went on to say, “No one is good but One -- God” (Mark 10:18). I see myself in this story. When you’re from a large family it’s very important to claim an identity. My nickname was “Saint Sarah,” which might give a hint as to the identity that I was going for. Like the rich young ruler I didn’t just want to be good, I wanted to be good enough for God.
Jesus then listed what I would call the “horizontal commandments,” the ones about how we are to relate to each other. The young man responded that he had kept all these from his youth. Jesus gazed with love at this young, rich ruler, and told him that he was lacking one thing: “Go, sell all you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then, come follow Me.” With this the man went away sorrowing because the truth was revealed. He didn’t love God with all his heart. He had made his wealth an idol that he couldn’t let go of.
If the rich man had sold everything he owned and given it to the poor, would he have purchased eternal life? If he had followed Jesus, where would Jesus have led him? Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem where He was to be crucified. At the cross everyone who had followed Jesus fled. No one proved good enough to obey the commandment to love God with all your heart...no one. Why? Because no one is good but One -- God.
I believe the truth is that we all cling to one idol or another. There is the desire that was born in the garden, offered by the serpent, that we might be like God. I know I wanted to be good enough for God, but I learned that it was, “when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:4-7).
*YourDictionary
Jesus responded to his question with a question, “Why do you call me good? Then He went on to say, “No one is good but One -- God” (Mark 10:18). I see myself in this story. When you’re from a large family it’s very important to claim an identity. My nickname was “Saint Sarah,” which might give a hint as to the identity that I was going for. Like the rich young ruler I didn’t just want to be good, I wanted to be good enough for God.
Jesus then listed what I would call the “horizontal commandments,” the ones about how we are to relate to each other. The young man responded that he had kept all these from his youth. Jesus gazed with love at this young, rich ruler, and told him that he was lacking one thing: “Go, sell all you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then, come follow Me.” With this the man went away sorrowing because the truth was revealed. He didn’t love God with all his heart. He had made his wealth an idol that he couldn’t let go of.
If the rich man had sold everything he owned and given it to the poor, would he have purchased eternal life? If he had followed Jesus, where would Jesus have led him? Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem where He was to be crucified. At the cross everyone who had followed Jesus fled. No one proved good enough to obey the commandment to love God with all your heart...no one. Why? Because no one is good but One -- God.
I believe the truth is that we all cling to one idol or another. There is the desire that was born in the garden, offered by the serpent, that we might be like God. I know I wanted to be good enough for God, but I learned that it was, “when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:4-7).
*YourDictionary
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