The Rich Young Man- Mark 10:17-27 17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’” 20 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.” 21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. 23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” Who is the rich young man? He doesn't walk to Jesus, he to Jesus. He falls on his knees in front of Jesus. He ran to Jesus with the greatest question of his life: "What must I do to be ? He is the person who comes in the right way to the right person and asks the right question. Further reading: according to Forbes, the average American is 90% richer than the average historical person. https://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2016/01/06/the-average-american-today-is-90-times-richer-than-the-average-historical-human-being/?sh=6ae0e8013e6e Mark 10:24-25 24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” For what reasons is this true? Why is it so hard to shake the spiritual hold that money can have on us? A thought- Christianity is mostly thought of as a process of getting rid of your . That's the easy part. What's harder is getting rid of your . Christianity means repenting of trusting our own good things and our own virtues, and letting Jesus be everything for us. This is a difficult text. A rich young man came to the right person in the right way and asked the right question. And he still walked away sad. But there is an amazing resolution to the story: This story is resolved not in the actions of the rich young man, but in the action of , who gave up all of his riches, his relationship with his Father, and even gave up his life so that we could have heaven’s riches. That truth is the power that will break money’s power over your soul. You have everything through Jesus. You lack nothing. You have Christ’s goodness, you have his righteousness. You have everything. Walk away with that today.