One Thing You Lack

Psalms 121; Mark 9-10 

“…‘Good Teacher,’ he asked, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’…Jesus looked at him and loved him. ‘One thing you lack,’ he said, ‘Go, sell everything you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’”

Mark 10:17, 21

It’s not possible to follow Jesus and still live for selfish, self-interest. Our will is a powerful thing, the surrender of which is central to becoming a disciple of Christ. The rich young ruler had wealth and power, but he lacked salvation. In Jesus he saw the truth about God and his ways. He wanted an inheritance that was eternal, beyond his family’s wealth and good name. Jesus loved him. This was not a special case of making salvation difficult for the “rich guy”. Jesus loves each one of us, and each one of us lacks at least “one thing” - for us to become disciples of Christ.

What is our “one thing”?

For some it’s the very ministry in the name of Christ that gives fulfillment and a sense of personal self-worth. Entering the kingdom of God is costly. Christ paid with his life to purchase our forgiveness and freedom. We must surrender all to follow him, especially that “one thing”.

“Lord Jesus, all I have is yours. Thank you for grace to convict me of the barriers to salvation. I surrender all.”