The One Thing You Lack

Mark 10:17 And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? 18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. 19 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. 20 And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. 21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. 22 And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.

Consider this story of Jesus and the Rich Young Ruler. The young man came running to the Messiah and asked how to inherit eternal life. When Jesus quoted him the commandments, the young man replied, "Master, all these have I kept from my youth." Let's read what happened next. "Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions."

Why did Jesus tell the young man to sell everything and follow him? It was to prove to him that he had not really kept the law at all. If he really had kept all the commandments then loving his neighbor would mean giving his riches to them and loving God would mean giving himself away as a disciple of Jesus, who was God in the flesh. The young man had done everything in his mind, yet he had not really done anything. All that he had done was due to tradition or legalism or self-righteousness. When Jesus told him to show love by an act of sacrifice he walked away grieved. In his mind he wanted to be a follower of Jesus, but in the actions of his life he could not.

Do you think Jesus ever looks at our actions and life and says, "One thing you lack?" That one thing is what makes all the other aspects of the Christian life possible. It is love. Not the love which you, I and the rich young ruler have, not a natural human love but a supernatural divine one. This love is placed in us only when we accept Jesus as our personal Savior and is only seen in us when we follow Him as Master into acts of sacrifice of ourselves.

Love is the essential element, without it no church is a success, no marriage is sound, no career is lasting, no life is livable, no relationship is complete, no sin is covered, no worship is accepted and no forgiveness is given. Do you really know how to love? Do you really understand that without love you have not really accomplished anything for God, no matter how grand it may seem to others? Are you willing to commit to seeking, and submitting to love in all aspects of your life? Or will you, like the rich young ruler, walk away grieved instead of making up the one thing you lack and following Jesus?