Rich Young Ruler
Open Your Bible
Mark 10:17-31, Luke 12:16-21, Ecclesiastes 5:8-20
BY Guest Writer
Our little Jonah is Tigger personified—a bouncy and sweet, rambunctious five-year-old. That means that at our house, there’s usually some kind of ball being thrown somewhere. With our high living room ceilings, the constant air assault, and the dodging, our house can feel a lot like a middle school gym class.
One ball has always been Jonah’s favorite: a foam mini football. He threw it so often that it ripped and busted out of its fabric casing. Jonah didn’t care. He kept throwing it until it was just an oblong sphere of stuffing barely holding together. For months, he refused to throw anything else.
Throwing and bouncing and catching is Jonah’s love language. One day, I decided to embrace it full force. You know those huge bouncy balls from big box stores, the ones in bins at the end of the aisle? I got him one. I got him the biggest, 18-inch, bright red, nearly-half-his-size ball.
I didn’t think a little face could contain that much joy. He’s since played with it for hours and hours. Believe it or not, the old foam football (which we’ve since replaced with a new one) hasn’t seen much playing time lately. Nothing captures Jonah’s heart like his massive, red, bouncy ball. He didn’t know something so wonderful existed.
There was a young man in Scripture who was holding on to something tightly, yet God wanted to bless him beyond his understanding. When the rich, young ruler came to Jesus and asked Him what he needed to do to gain eternal life, he and Jesus first discussed obeying some of the Ten Commandments. The man assured Jesus that he had followed them, and Jesus didn’t disagree. Then Scripture describes a deeply beautiful moment: “Looking at him, Jesus loved him” (Mark 10:21). Oh, the eyes of our Savior, showering love on this young man. Then Jesus said:
“You lack one thing:
Go, sell all you have and give to the poor,
and you will have treasure in heaven.
Then come, follow me” (Mark 10:21).
This is the only time in the Gospels that Jesus makes such a demand of a potential disciple. Scripture tells us Peter owned a house (Matthew 8:14), so following Jesus doesn’t necessarily mean leaving behind all of our earthly possessions. So why did Jesus make such a high demand? Because He knew that the young man’s wealth had his heart—it had his heart so deeply that the thought of giving his wealth away grieved him (Mark 10:22). Jesus knew He had something in store for the young man that was far beyond what he could comprehend: Himself. And so He told the young man to let go of what was keeping him back, and to follow Him instead.
The man walked away sad. We don’t know whether or not he ever decided to follow Jesus. We only have a Polaroid snapshot of this single moment in time. I hope we’ll meet this young man in heaven one day and he’ll say, “That moment was a turning point for me. Jesus’s loving gaze undid me. So after a time, I let go—of everything—and I grabbed on to Him. I thought I was rich before, but my heart couldn’t even comprehend the depths of the riches of knowing Jesus. He is my greatest treasure.”
We know that richness, don’t we? We are those who have been looked on and loved by our Savior. May His kindness lead us to pray: Jesus, if our hearts, prone to wander, start pining after lesser treasures, may Your love undo us and call us back to You.
Laurin Greco is an author, editor, and mommy who lives in the Nashville area with her author/editor husband and her not quite author/editor three young sons. Laurin is the author of the Discover God’s Heart Devotional Bible and The Storybook of God’s Great Love: The Old Testament and The New Testament. When the house is quiet, she loves to quilt, but mostly she collects fabric for that one-day quilt she’s going to make.
53 thoughts on "Rich Young Ruler"
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Today this story is helping me understand the pain I’ve seen this season. I haven’t given up all of my possessions. But this season, I’ve seen the loss of two of the most important things in my life: my wedding and the future of the job that I loved. Both of these things I thought were a guarantee in my life. After dating my fiance for ten years, our wedding has been pushed back twice now. I naively thought the dance studio where I grew up and taught would be there forever (maybe even for me to take charge of one day), and in one day, it closed. I keep asking God if he loves me, why did he take away the things that were so important to me. Now I’m starting to see clearly, he’s doing it because he loves me so much and has not genuinely heard from me in so long because my focus has been elsewhere. After losing what felt like everything in the matter of a month, God is showing me the love He, my family, and fiance have for me that I’ve been missing all this time because my heart was set somewhere else.
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I love that you have grown closer to God during this season. Praying that he has great plans for you!
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Good morning everyone! I’m a day behind so I just wanted to hop over to today and ask for prayer for my best friend’s mom who is battling terminal liver cancer. That is my answer to “What do you want Jesus to do for you?” To heal my best friend’s mom. While it looks like at this point she will receive healing upon entering Heaven, my heart still breaks at the thought of losing a second mom. Please join me in praying for Cynthia (my friend’s mom’s name). I believe He can bring earthly healing to her body! And if not, He is still good <3
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Praying for Cynthia. Praying for your best friend.
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This weren’t perfect with the series we have been going through at church on Simplicity. It’s incredible! I love how God just hammers things in sometimes ;) during quarantine it’s been hard not to list over others wealth and be greedy with my own. But again I am reminded that there is no wealth greater than the love of Jesus.
If any of you would like to listen to the series the podcast for the church is Bridgetown video podcast. ❤️-
I love Bridgetown church! John Mark Comer is a favorite author of mine. His book, “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry,” is a must-read for all followers of Christ.
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Lord, please forgive me and keep my life from sin, that I may delight in and follow you alone. You free me from temptation and give me an escape by your faithfulness. Your word is my weapon that discerns my heart and reveals truth. You restore, confirm, strengthen and establish me. In my hopelessness you love me, and you reach out your hand to give me hope. My life is in your hands, please help me to take hold of all that you have given me. Yours is the victory! Praise the Lord! Though my outer self is wasting away, my inner self us renewed each day. For you, who said let light shine in darkness, have shown in my heart to give me the light of the knowledge of your glory, in the face of Jesus Christ. Now I have received you Spirit, that I may understand the things you gave freely give me, for I have the mind of Christ, and I cry Abba Father. Lord, when I don’t understand or hear your voice, please remind me of the truth and silence the lies, for you are good and your love is great. You are King over all. Please remind me of your love and faithfulness, you are true.
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Beautiful-AMEN
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LDUB, praying that God’s hands surround and protect your family. May he bring restoration in your lives. Samaritan’s Purse has an amazing outreach for families in your situation – reach out to them. https://www.samaritanspurse.org/education-2/about-operation-heal-our-patriots/
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LDUB, you and your husband sacrifice much (My son in law is active military). It is a privilege to intercede on your behalf today. Lord, bring peace and calm to this family today. Give them words to articulate all they are feeling. Motivate them to reach out for help. Bring the right people across their path so that they know they are not alone. Be their strength. Let them lean on You. You are there. Amen.
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Not Ladybug-Ldub! Gotta love autocorrect!
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Lauren, as I was reading today’s scripture I was imagining the very “happy ending” for the rich young ruler that you wrote. How can anyone walk away from Christ’s loving gaze & not yearn to return? May we each continue to feel God’s love upon us no matter what our circumstances are. Ladybug, I’m praying for your husband & your family. May his eyes be open to his understandable need for help & support, & May he feel God’s love, & the love of his family well worth fighting for now. Praying for your strength & peace, & your safety too.
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