Today, as I was reading my personal study, I ventured through Mark 8. At the very end of the chapter, Jesus declares: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” (Mark 8:34b-38) This led me to thinking about the Rich Young Ruler. The man was righteous, according to the tradition of the elders and the Law of Moses. He was wealthy, considered wise, and did everything he ought. He even sought eternal life, and yet, the call to following Jesus was something he could not do. Jesus said that he lacked only one thing: to sell all of his possessions, donate the proceeds to the poor and to follow. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Why? Because his concern for this life outweighed his desire for eternity.
Isn't that the way many of us are, though? We follow Jesus up until a certain point. We want to be righteous, we want to do as we ought, but when asked to give up everything and follow Jesus, it's taking things a little too far. Yet, something we ought to understand that the invitation Jesus gives is always this: "Follow Me, come and die." If we're truly seeking Jesus, then our life is always forfeit. We may not always physically die as a result of our faith: in some countries it is almost a statistical impossibility (though in many this is a daily reality).
Yet, if we look at the Old and New Testaments, following God always means forsaking the world, always means having no true portion in this life, and always means dying to ourselves to become who God desires us to be. He (Jesus) becomes out portion and inheritance. He (Jesus) give us new life, but in order to find that new life, we must get rid of the old one. Seeking Jesus always means losing our life, and losing our life always means gaining that life we were always meant to have in Christ, here, and in eternity. If we seek Christ we will lose it all. But if we lose it all for His sake, we will gain all we will ever need.
Mark 10:17-27
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 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.”
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