Follow Me (Mark 10:17-22)

A rich, young, ruler asks Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” We know from the story he is exactly the kind of person you’d expect to inherit eternal life. So, why would he ask this of Jesus? Perhaps he knew he was missing something. Jesus says, “There is still one thing you haven’t done. Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor—then come, follow me.” The man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. So, what about us? What are we holding on to, unwilling to give up? Jesus' invitation is clear. Let go of all of that and follow me. Why would we ever let go of everything and follow Jesus? We may come to realize that we’ve been living the wrong story and that the right story is about broken relationship with God and that our separation from God explains our wars, our hatred, our fears, our divisions. But there’s another reason we might let go of everything and follow Jesus. Jesus, who came from the ranks of the poor and oppressed, loved this wealthy man with the same love he lavished on everyone else. A love that called him away from living a false, incomplete story. A love that called him into a relationship with God and with one another.