Mark 10:21, commentary and pictures

Jesus looked with love on the wealthy ruler who came sincerely seeking eternal life and told him he still lacked one vital thing, to sell what he had and give to the poor to gain treasure in heaven, then take up the cross and follow in self-denying discipleship. That lack was love to God and to his neighbor in the heart, for his riches were his idol and his outward keeping of the commandments was false while he loved God's gifts more than God and earthly standing more than Christ. His possessions were only lent to him by God to relieve suffering and do good, so the command tested whether he loved wealth more than God, his fellow men, and the heavenly inheritance, and called him to yield his will and affections to receive holiness and sonship with Christ. He went away grieving because he loved great possessions more than truth and eternal life, choosing money and power over Christ and refusing the sacrifice without which no one can follow. The same loving invitation still calls every would-be disciple to surrender whatever competes with God, since cherished selfishness corrupts the whole nature and nothing held back can enter heaven.

Encounter and Setting

The saying belongs to Jesus' meeting with a ruler of great possessions and responsibility who was drawn to Him and sincerely wanted to become His disciple and inherit eternal life by asking what he must do. The ruler thought highly of his own righteousness yet felt he lacked something, and he came in self-righteousness claiming to have kept the commandments from his youth. He hoped Jesus would bless him as He had blessed the little children and would satisfy his deep need.

He addressed Jesus as an honored teacher without recognizing Him as the Son of God, and Jesus' question about calling Him good tested whether he recognized Him and revealed his true view of Him. Goodness belongs to God alone, so to receive Jesus as good is to receive Him as God's Son and representative. His direction to keep the commandments presents harmony with God's law as the condition of eternal life, whose principles must guide every action. The encounter stands just before the parable of the laborers and presents God's free grace against the idea that favor must be earned, exposing and correcting the grasping, mercenary spirit that seeks reward by works, a spirit found in Jewish worship and not yet removed from the disciples.

Judas was displeased with the condition given to the ruler, thinking the ruler should have been welcomed among the believers because his wealth could support Christ's cause. He believed that as a counselor he could offer plans that would benefit the church, though his principles and methods differed from Christ's.

Jesus Loving and Searching

Jesus looked into the ruler's face as if reading his life and searching his character, beholding him with love and hungering to give him the peace and grace and joy that would materially change his character. The demand to surrender his possessions and follow was itself an act of that love, given for his transformation.

He loved the sincere young man and saw in him one who could become a preacher of righteousness, a co-worker in the work of salvation and a power for good. In place of his possessions He offered him the joy of companionship and service with Himself, calling him to the same consecration as the disciples who left everything to follow. By placing himself under Christ's guidance his character could have been developed and set apart for God's service, he could have reflected God's likeness and grown in Christ's presence, and the whole course of his future would have been changed. Christ's love was already awakening love in his heart, and receiving that unselfish love would have been the life of his soul.

That love did not withhold faithful confrontation of what he lacked, but identified his attachment to wealth as standing in the way of wholehearted discipleship. He wanted the ruler to recognize that outward keeping of the commandments did not replace wholehearted devotion to God and Christian goodness. What was needed was a humble, contrite heart that acknowledged its lack and depended on Christ's perfection, giving himself wholly to God.

One Thing Lacking

The one vital thing he lacked was the love of God in the soul, and that lack would prove fatal unless it was supplied, for indulged selfishness strengthens and corrupts the whole nature. That love could only be received by surrendering supreme love of self, which is why he was told to sell, give to the poor, gain treasure in heaven, and follow. His vital lack was also love for his neighbor expressed in action, the missing link that left his other virtues incomplete. In love the truth was told him, that to be perfect he must follow the example set before him by loosening his hold on riches, giving to the poor, valuing treasure in heaven, taking up the cross, and following.

He was tested so that the selfishness and covetousness hidden beneath outward commandment-keeping would be revealed, and the touch reached the plague-spot of his heart. His attachment to wealth was an idol, and he lacked the love for God and for people that is the spirit and life of the commandments. That self-love and desire for worldly gain left him out of harmony with heaven and without what is needed to enter God's kingdom. His claim to have kept God's law was therefore false, for riches were his idol and he did not truly keep the commandments in spirit. He loved God's gifts more than their Giver and put the world first in his affections, valuing social standing and possessions above Christ and loving earthly riches more than the heavenly treasure and eternal life he said he wanted. To give up visible earthly wealth for unseen treasure in heaven seemed too great a risk, so in sorrowful refusal he chose love of riches over his neighbor and the eternal inheritance, and the world became the object of his worship.

Respectable moral character and outward goodness could coexist with this decisive lack, yet they did not make up for failing to answer God's claims and neglecting salvation. He was faithfully shown his deficiency in keeping the commandments, for he did not love his neighbor as himself, and his selfish love of riches would debar him from heaven if not removed. True commandment-keeping would not have left such great hoarded wealth, since plotting and striving for self cannot stand with loving God with all heart and mind and strength and neighbor as self. Tithing small details like mint and rue while neglecting weightier matters is not the true spirit of sacrifice acceptable to God, which gives freely and is not meanness nor a rigid, fanatical, fault-watching course imposed on others. His sorrow because he had great possessions showed that riches were honor and power to him and such disposal seemed an impossibility, revealing the danger to the avaricious that the more he gains the harder generosity becomes until diminishing wealth feels like parting with life and the immortal reward is turned from in order to retain and increase earthly possessions. Unless he transferred his affections from riches to heavenly treasure, his riches would overcome him and corrupt what was good in him. The cherished idol threatened his hope of heaven, so his only hope was to follow the remedy given him and surrender what stood between him and faithful discipleship, for affections fixed on worldly treasure are withdrawn from God while distributing to the necessities of the poor would have brought greater happiness, greater heavenly treasure, and less earth on which to place the affections.

Command and Treasure Promised

Jesus told him the one thing he lacked and commanded him to go, sell whatever he had, give to the poor, receive treasure in heaven, take up the cross, and follow Him. The call to follow means imitating His self-denying, cross-bearing life, for He had left everything for humanity's salvation. His possessions belonged to God and were lent and entrusted to him to use for God's glory, to help the poor, relieve suffering, and become rich in good works. The call tests whether he loves earthly riches more than God, his neighbor, and the heavenly inheritance. Disciples show their priorities by withdrawing affections from wealth, doing good, and using entrusted wealth to serve others and advance God's kingdom.

Earthly possessions and talents are God's, and giving them to the needy is no more than returning what belongs to Him and gathers imperishable treasure secure with God. The command did not specify every detail and he could have asked Jesus for further counsel. Christ's own self-giving, in giving His riches and life to accomplish salvation, is the example. The words present a test between heavenly treasure and worldly greatness: he was promised heavenly treasure if he followed Christ, but he had to yield self and give his will into Christ's control. God offered him holiness and the privilege of becoming a son of God and co-heir with Christ, and taking up the cross and following meant walking the path of self-denial. The sacrifice and giving were the test and means by which he could receive the bread of life, tied to living by Christ within the soul as its circulating current of life.

The demand was a test of obedience reaching into life and character, not merely outward or legal compliance. It was the only course that could lead him toward perfected Christian character and his only hope of salvation. His high position and possessions were harming his character by drawing affections from God, and holding on to anything, much or little, that competes with God weakens moral strength and effectiveness. The command presents the great test used at the final judgment, that the spirit of love and self-sacrifice toward the needy is the touchstone of character, because no one can love God without loving his brother. The demand is not greater than what Jesus Himself gave up in riches, glory, and honor, humbling Himself and taking human nature to save people. The call from Calvary makes clear that all should be consecrated to God in response to His immeasurable love and sacrifice, and followers must likewise be willing to give all to Him and endure humiliation and reproach, while clinging to worldly treasure is selfishness and refusal to sacrifice for His work.

Refusal and Universal Call

The condition chilled his desire, and he went away sorrowful and grieved because he had great possessions, valuing his riches more than the heavenly treasure and eternal life that had been promised him. His sorrowful departure revealed that he loved worldly wealth more than truth and lacked the spirit of sacrifice required for eternal life, choosing wealth and the world rather than Christ as his leader. He wanted heaven yet chose to keep his wealth, thus renouncing immortal life for money and power. This warns that attachment to riches can turn people away from Christ's call even when they profess to keep God's commandments, for to one to whom riches were honor and power such disposal seemed impossible, and the danger to the avaricious is that the more he gains the harder generosity becomes until diminishing wealth feels like parting with life.

He was required to surrender his possessions, use his means for God's glory, and accept self-denial rather than keeping his wealth while claiming to follow, but he chose earthly riches over heavenly treasure and made his possessions his god. He was still longed for and would have been drawn back, yet an unwilling sacrifice would not be accepted, for following requires the heart's full consecration and obedience to God's will.

The young man stands for some people now whom the Lord is calling to engage in His service, and the loving invitation to give up earthly possessions and follow applies to all who would become disciples. Seeing Jesus requires a wholehearted response in which the seeker surrenders everything possessed in order to come to Him. They must obey and surrender whatever would keep them from following, since anything held onto that would corrupt the whole person must be removed, and nothing less than obedience is acceptable. The same danger of cherishing an idol and refusing surrender applies to those who use their means in God's cause only on their own terms, for wealth and self-will can keep them from the life that is with God, while investing their means where the Lord's blessing can make them fruitful is an opportunity to do good that brings greater happiness, greater heavenly treasure, and less earth on which to place the affections.