In Mark 10 (as well as Matthew 19 and Luke 18) we read of a rich ruler who asked Jesus what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. It is evident that Jesus knew what was in the man’s heart. He knew that the man’s riches were a problem for him. After a short conversation he answered the man’s question with these words: “One thing you lack: God your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me” (21). This brought sorrow to the man despite his devotion and sincerity, as he was unwilling to put the Lord (and eternal life) ahead of his great possessions.
It seems absurd that anyone would make such choices like this. Weigh them out: Your possessions (no matter the amount or value) VS eternal life. Remember Jesus’ words on another occasion, “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26). And yet practically, most unthinkingly make this choice in their lives.
A common social experiment is to place a sweet in front of a child and to tell them that if they refrain from eating it, at a later time they will receive twice the reward. When left alone for a short time, the child is secretly filmed to see their response. It is very difficult (due to the child’s immaturity) for him or her to resist for long. Inevitably the single sweet is quickly eaten instead of waiting for the less visible double reward to be given for being patient.
This is, in fact, our own problem. Material possessions reveal an immaturity in most. There seems to be an inability in many to resist present enticements for a future reward. Ultimately this is a textbook example of covetousness. Covetousness (pleonexia) is a greedy desire to have more. The greed is especially notable here. As the wise man wrote, “The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing” (Ecclesiastes 1:8).
This greed animates men. They become consumed with wanting, and wanting it now! As a result, they lose their focus on the greater riches of eternity. This can even happen to those who have given their life to Christ. They are the ones whose hearts are categorized as thorny ground by the Lord. “Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity” (Luke 8:14).
It is spiritual myopia to not focus on eternity! “For he who lacks these things [that focus on eternity which brings spiritual maturity] is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins” (2 Peter 1:9). Don’t choose physical, but eternal riches. Anything less is foolish and self-destructive!
