The One Thing We Won't Let Go
The One Thing We Won’t Let Go
The rich young man came to Jesus with a very good question. “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” He was sincere. He was respectful. He had tried to live a good life. He had kept the commandments. Honestly, he sounds like the kind of fellow most churches would put on a committee before he made it back to the parking lot.
But Jesus saw something nobody else could see. Jesus looked at him. And Mark adds three important words:
Jesus loved him.
What Jesus said next was not punishment. It was love. “You lack one thing.” Then Jesus pointed directly at the thing this man could not imagine living without. His wealth. Jesus told him to sell what he had, give the money to the poor, and follow Him. And suddenly the man who had come running to Jesus walked away sad. Not because Jesus did not want him. Because he wanted something else more.
That is where this story gets uncomfortable. We can read it and think, “Good thing I’m not a rich young ruler.” But Jesus has a way of finding our “one thing.” The thing we protect. The thing we excuse. The thing we grip tightly while telling Jesus He can have everything else.
Maybe it is money. Maybe it is our reputation. Our plans. Our comfort. Our anger. Our need to be right. Our children. Our career. Our control. We sometimes want Jesus to be part of our lives. Jesus calls us to something much deeper.
Follow me.
That means Jesus does not simply get a room in the house. He gets the keys. Following Jesus means opening our hands and saying, “Lord, nothing belongs ahead of You. Nothing gets to tell me no when You tell me to follow.”
And notice again how the story begins. Jesus looked at him and loved him. Jesus does not expose the things we cling to because He wants to take life away from us. He exposes them because He wants to set us free.
So perhaps the question today is not, “What do I own?” It is this:
What owns me?
And if Jesus said, “Let it go and follow Me,” would I?
Have a great week!
-Pastor Corey
