One More Thing

 

One More Thing (Mark 10:17-31)

“Do you have any idea how difficult it is for people who ‘have it all’ to enter God’s kingdom?”(Mark 10:23)

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We were about to get on our way again when a man came up to Jesus. If I were to judge him by his clothing, I would say he looked to be a man of means. “Teacher,” the man said with deep respect, “What must I do to receive eternal life?” Jesus answered the man by reciting a litany of commands from the Law of Moses. The man’s face lit up in a smile of relief. “Teacher, ever since I was a young boy, I have obeyed all of those commands.”

It was at this point that the conversation took a drastic turn. I saw Jesus look at the man with loving compassion in his eyes, and he said, “One more thing, my friend. Go and sell all of your belongings and give the money to the poor. Then you will have treasures in heaven. Come, follow me.” The man was crestfallen. His expression suddenly turned from one of keen hopefulness to painful disappointment. He slumped his shoulders, turned around, and walked away.

Jesus then looked at us and spoke. “Do you realize how difficult it is for people who ‘have it all’ to enter God’s kingdom?” Noticing how taken aback we were at his words, Jesus continued. “It’s easier for a camel to go through an eye of a needle than for a wealthy person to enter God’s kingdom.”

The conversation continued for a bit. Peter noted that all of us had given up everything in order to follow Jesus, to which Jesus replied that anybody who gives up home and family in order to follow him will be abundantly rewarded, in this life and in the life to come.

As I reflected on all this, it occurred to me that Jesus seemed to be saying is that there can’t be anything nor anybody that stirs greater loyalty from us than Jesus. People who “have it all,” who have great wealth, have come to depend on their wealth for their wellbeing. When the going gets tough, as the saying goes, they don’t need to turn to God; they just turn to their own resources to make it through. They have learned to be in control of their lives, and it is exceedingly difficult for them to hand over control to someone else – even to the Lord.

It made me think: If Jesus were to pose the same question to me that he posed to the wealthy young man, “What must I do to receive eternal life?,” I wonder what the “one more thing” would be that Jesus would demand of me? I certainly am not a person who “has it all,” but am I willing to give up what I do have in order to follow Jesus? Are there people or things that spark more loyalty in my heart than Jesus does? Is there anything or anyone I love more than Jesus?

I see this interaction between the wealthy man and Jesus as an invitation for me to look deeply into my own heart. Walking with Jesus means handing over to him the authority of everything in my life. Brutal honesty with myself will force me to acknowledge that I might still have some work to do in that department. I suspect the same might be said for everyone. It’s part of our nature to think we can be god of our own lives.

I realize that, walking with Jesus, I will always be confronted with some kind of “one more thing” I have to relinquish. My prayer is that I will have the strength of will to let go of all the “one more things,” because walking with Jesus has become so important for me, and that is the one thing I do not want to lose.

Dear Jesus, every day something or someone clamors for my loyalty. I pray that I will have the courage and the strength of will to let go of everything that hinders my walk with you. As difficult as it may be, I ask you to point out to me every time there is “one more thing” I have to let go of so I walk with you freely. I pray for the courage to stay the course with you. Amen.