“One Thing You Lack”

There is a sad story in Mark 10 of a rich young ruler. It is sad, because the Bible says, “Then Jesus beholding him loved him…” The rich young ruler came to Jesus to ask him what he should do to have eternal life. Jesus told him to keep all the commandments, so the rich young man said, “All these I have observed (kept) from my youth.” So now, the rich young ruler is excited because he has never broken any commandments that he knows of…

“Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest…” Jesus went on to tell him, in so many words, that his riches had controlled his life and that he needed to sell what he had and take up his cross and follow Jesus, and then he would have “treasure in Heaven.” But the rich young ruler went away sad. It wasn’t that he “possessed money, gold, and treasures,” but “these things possessed him.” That was the difference. This was the one chance the rich young ruler had, but he went away sorrowful. I see it time and time again here in Haiti…