An encounter with Jesus

The Rich Young Ruler

A good, wealthy man who walked away sad

Read the chapter: Mark 10

“And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”

What they wanted

A rich young man runs to Jesus and kneels, asking, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? He has kept the commandments since childhood. He is sincere, moral, successful, and still he feels the lack.

What Jesus did

Mark says Jesus, beholding him, loved him, and then told him the one thing he lacked: sell what he had, give to the poor, and come follow. It was not that money is evil, but that it had become his true treasure, the thing he could not let go.

What changed

This is the one Gospel encounter where a person walks away sad, for he had great possessions. Jesus lets him go. He never forces. It is a sobering, honest story: you can meet Jesus, be loved by Jesus, and still choose your grip on what you own.