That’s what Jesus said to the rich young ruler in Mark 10:24:
“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!”
To back up just a little bit, the rich young ruler had asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. Eternal life is not as simple as you might think. It is not just infinite time in heaven after we die. In a devotional called This Is How We Know, J.D. Walt explains:
“We must grasp eternal life as the intervention of Jesus Christ into the present evil age to inaugurate the age to come right in the midst of it – something akin to a table in the presence of our enemies . . . It is the right-now infusion of eternal life – which is to say, the life of God – into human beings to remake them together into a people whose presence manifests the presence of God, the overwhelming power of holy love in which nothing is impossible.”
~ From the chapter called “Why We’ve Gotten Eternal Life Wrong”
The rich young ruler is asking about how to have the life of God. This is present and future. Maybe these questions could help: What must I do to have the life of God here on earth as it is in heaven? How can I manifest His rule and reign in my life? How can I have the presence of God so that I might display His character through my life to others?
When Jesus answers, he lists commands in the Ten Commandments, starting with the fifth one. The rich young ruler claims he has kept them since his youth. Our first shock should not be his claim, but the fact that Jesus does not correct him! Jesus, out of love (it literally says He loved this guy – vs 21), said he lacked one thing: sell everything and follow Him.
Hold up. Think about what you would have said if this man asked you his original question. Would you have said something like, “That’s easy! Bow your head and repeat this prayer after me . . . ” Does it not concern us that Jesus did not use our modern evangelistic tactics? Jesus went after the man’s idol: his wealth.
The man walks away sorrowful because he had great possessions. His wealth had become his idol and he was not willing to demote it. Jesus says that it is very hard for a rich person to enter God’s Kingdom (and by default, eternal life; the Kingdom of God is not heaven either, but the rule and reign of God). Even if a person is poor, Jesus says elsewhere that difficult and narrow is the way that leads to life. There’s no way around the difficulty according to Jesus.
When I read the story about the rich young ruler in my quiet time a few weeks ago, I asked myself, “So, what were Jesus’s expectations of his followers then?” I had to ask because I do not think Jesus was making a command for every follower to sell all their possessions. In my quiet time journal, I wrote down a few of the expectations I noticed in Mark 9-10 as well as a few others that came to mind that day:
- Keeping the commandments of God
- Laying down our idols (e.g. our wealth, willing to leave family or homeland for the gospel, etc.)
- Receiving the kingdom like a child
- Being willing to “cut off” hand or “pluck out” eye if either is causing you to sin
- Lose your life for the sake of the gospel
- Not being ashamed of Jesus in front of others
Is this a works-based salvation? Nope. This is a salvation based work. God’s love came first and it is by sheer grace God allows us to enter into covenant with Him. But as with any covenant, His covenant has expectations. Jesus said, with man it is impossible, but with God, all things are possible. His grace is sufficient for us to live in His covenant and contribute to His Kingdom advancement. Not only that, but He also promises, with persecutions), a relationship jackpot (see Mark 10:29-30). We gain a spiritual family and the bond runs deep in the family of God. My sisters in Christ are absolutely instrumental in my walk with the Lord and it is an honor to serve beside them.
Therefore, let us, be on guard against idols that threaten our fidelity to Jesus. Let us, by His grace, serve God only. Let us live inside covenant. This will come with a fair share of difficulties, but sisters, we were created to live this way.
By the River Together 