Mark 10:17-31
As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’[d]”
“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is[e] to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!”
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
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The rich young ruler didn’t recognize Jesus for who He was. He thought Jesus was simply a “good” teacher and not the Son of God and why Jesus responded that no one was good except God.
Prior to the day of Pentecost, the disciples lacked understanding of deeper things Jesus spoke about, yet they were with Him for three years prior. It wasn’t until they received the Holy Spirit that they finally understood the things Jesus did and said. It’s not enough to simply love Jesus, but we must strive after a life in Him and pressing on the Holy Spirit to give us the strength and understanding.
Even though no one is good except God alone, goodness is a gift and Jesus takes it a step further and says all things are possible with God. So in ourselves, we are not good, nor can we achieve this goodness. But the relationship we build with God and the gifts He gives us, we can walk in goodness. It’s not our goodness but it’s His goodness through us that points others to Him.
As I reflect on the health issues GW is facing, it’s more apparent now than ever, without God, we simply are not living. As we live in Him, regardless of our situation, we can magnify His goodness to others through our thoughts and actions.
Lord, we don’t always know Your will, but we do pray in accordance with biblical principles and rely on your goodness to grace GW and bring complete healing to his mind, body and emotions. Just as the man asked Jesus if He could do anything about his son possessed, Jesus responded “If you can? Everything is possible for one who believes.”
Just as the boy’s father replied, so do we “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”, once again, that you might be glorified!