This Is Real Love - Mark 10:21-22

And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. - Mark 10:21-22

    The account of the young ruler illustrates one of the most common contemporary problems of coming to Christ in the modern world. As we recall, the young man, who was very wealthy by all accounts, asked Jesus what he must do to gain eternal life. Jesus responded - “You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” - Mark 10:19. Clearly, Christ was referring to keeping the Ten Commandments because this young man asked Him ‘what must I do?’ The erroneous idea that we can somehow ‘work or way’ into heaven has been with us even from time before Jesus. It is indeed the basis for every religion other than Christianity. So He put the ball in the young man’s court. As expected, the young man told Christ that he had kept all the Commandments since his youth. The young man may have been most civil in his dealings with others; however, we know that to follow all the Commandments to the letter of the law is impossible. No one is able to keep the whole law. “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.” - James 2:10.  Jesus knew it as well. Expecting this response, Jesus then lowered the boom as we read in our title passage.
    This was an extraordinary command, even from Jesus, as far as the young man was concerned. “I have followed every rule,” he thought, “and still it is not enough? Well, I’ll not give away all to follow Him.” He was so distressed by Christ’s words that he simply turned in his consternation and walked away. Many of us believe we’re ‘basically good human beings’ and that God will grade us on a curve. Here’s the bad news: we aren’t and He won’t!   
    Still, today many ask the question, “Why did Jesus answer the man this way, knowing that he would never be able to comply with the command to simply give everything away and follow Him.” To paraphrase it another way, many today question the command with the same disheartened attitude. Some even with a bitter and calcified arrogance. “Why should I give up everything I’ve achieved and obtained to follow Christ.?” The answer to that question if rife within the Holy Scripture but I will reference just one. “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” - Mark 8:36. We are, after all, talking about trading off a worldly disposition for one of eternal significance.
    So why did Jesus respond to the young ruler’s question the way He did? Love. Which of us would calmly sit by as someone we loved was going to deliberately place his or her hand into a fire? Who would stand back and watch as someone we loved runs into a bustling traffic-jammed roadway? Which of us would dispassionately sit by while our loved one chose a lifestyle of chemical addiction and not say a word?
    When our approach is stern or heavy-handed, it is not because we are hateful or are being malicious; it is because love demands we take a strident and solid stand. Love simply doesn’t encourage or advocate for wrong or dangerous behavior. Love is intolerant of accepting a loved one’s unsound and spurious behavior. Love demands we speak out against error in such thinking and action.  Just as Jesus gave the young man an ultimatum, love demands we do the same for anyone perilously close to perdition.
    We can just as easily overlook or ignore the mistakes and deliberate errors of someone we care for. And some of them would prefer that we did. “Stay out of my road,” they will say. But love, true and effectual Christian love, challenges us to step into that roadway and speak the truth that they do not want to hear. “Give away all the worldliness that is in your heart, turn to Jesus, and you will have treasure in heaven.” Speak these words boldly for this is real love.