Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

           Text: St, Mark 10:17-22, but especially these words –

 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.” At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

           This text from Mark is but one of three accounts concerning the rich young ruler. It’s interesting to note how, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, one Gospel supplements the other. Matthew tells us that he was a young man. Luke says that he was a ruler. And Mark tells us that Jesus loved him dearly. As a result, we have a composite picture of the rich young ruler. All three evangelists are careful to record that he went away sad. There was something in the look of this young man when he turned away from Jesus that troubled the disciples and has troubled the world ever since.

           This morning, I want to speak to you about four little words that seem to be the very heart and center of the story before us – “He went away sad.” This rich, cultured, refined, moral man, with his magnificent character – “He went away sad.”

           First of all notice that he came to Jesus. This was no small thing. St. Paul writes – “No one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.” No human being can take one step toward Jesus without the power and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. No one can come to Jesus unless the Father draws him, and some don’t come even after God has drawn them. Do we always realize that every upward look, every holy desire, every hope for a more God-pleasing life comes not out of our hearts, which are by nature sinful and wicked, but is rather the work of the Holy Spirit, who God sent into the world to convict us of sin and righteousness and judgment?

This man came to Jesus. He not only came, but he came running. Walking wasn’t fast enough. He was eager to search for and to find the truth. He was an upper-class, rich young man, popular and educated, whom everybody in the city knew. We remember that Nicodemus came to Jesus at night, apparently out of fear of the Jews. He didn’t have the courage at the time to talk openly to Christ. But this rich young ruler came out on the street in the plain sight of everyone – and came to see Jesus. This is even more remarkable because he belonged to the ruling class of the land, the Pharisees, who looked with great disapproval on Jesus.

           Not only did he run to Jesus, but before all those gathered there he knelt down before the Lord. He appeared to be very humble. It’s a good thing to kneel. It’s not a weak thing nor is it an unimportant thing to do. It may be childlike, but it isn’t childish. It takes a strong person to do it when others are looking on. It’s not a thoughtless or self-righteous thing to kneel. And it’s not a foolish thing to pray. It’s a beautiful thing to come before the Lord in prayer.

           Looking back at this man, we notice that he is sincere and respectful, but he also appears to be honest. He opens his heart to Jesus. The man says to Him – “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

           Now watch Jesus as He step by step leads the young man. First He tries him with the Law – “You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’” The young man in all sincerity says – “Teacher, all these I have kept since I was a boy.” And he was being honest. He could truthfully say that according to his standards he had kept them all his life.

           Jesus then probes deeper and touches the sore spot. He puts the young man to the test – “One thing you lack.” “There is one thing standing between you and salvation. And outward keep of the Law is not enough. Your heart must be pure and right in the sight of God. What you need above everything else in an inward change. Because you have not given yourself completely and totally to God. You are still holding on to one thing in this world that you love more than you love God. And that is your riches.”  And then Jesus tells him – “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” Jesus invites this young man to turn his heart away from earthly treasures and to fix his heart on the heavenly treasure – the undeserved grace and forgiveness of God!

           Christ told the young man to sell his possessions. He didn’t tell him to give them away as if he had no right to them. No, our Lord told him to sell. If Christ had been talking to Nicodemus instead of the rich young ruler, maybe He would have told him that, if he wanted to be a disciple, to first get rid of his fear of the opinion of the other Pharisees. In the case of this young man, it was his trust in his riches that stood between him and following Christ. So Jesus said – “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

           That was the test. He had run to Jesus. He seemed to be sincere. He knelt and appeared to be humble. He had honestly confessed his innermost need to Christ, and now if he would only take the next step, the final step, he would be saved. If he would just surrender himself and his possessions to the Lord, eternal treasures would be     his. For it’s as Jesus said – “There will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents.” But what do we read? It is written – “At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.”

           How close we can come to salvation and yet pass it by! How good and moral we can appear in the eyes of the world, and yet turn our backs on Christ! Is it possible for a person to talk with Jesus, to look into His face – and yet go away? This man did. We can even live with Jesus and not know Him. Judas betrayed Him for thirty pieces of silver. Some of us have betrayed Him for far less than that. Some of us have nothing more than bothered consciences and sleepless nights. We can even die in His presence and never know Him. The criminal on the cross to the left of Jesus did that and cursed Jesus in his dying moments. Yes, we also can go away.

           If this young man had only looked at the sacrifice that Jesus was asking him to make, and then looked at Christ and eternity! If he had only thought of the joy and honor for time and eternity that comes to a person who is living in and for Jesus! If he had come into the Kingdom with all of his influence and capabilities, he might have brought hundreds, if not thousands, into the kingdom of God with him.  All this was lost because he did not come. What is holding you back from giving yourself totally to Jesus? What’s holding you back from becoming more active in the kingdom of God?  What’s holding you back from uniting wholeheartedly with Christ and His cause? When we stand before God on the day of judgment, we will be held responsible not only for what we have done, but also for what we might have done and didn’t do.

         The young man went away sad. Where did he go? Back to his riches? They couldn’t satisfy him. We can’t feed our souls with materials things – we aren’t built that way. Our souls are eternal. Why then try to feed them on things that aren’t eternal? When the young man left Jesus, he left the true riches of heaven behind, he left those treasures that will never fade away.

         Where did he go? Back to his friends? He had left his friends because they could not satisfy the longing within him. True friends are rare. Too many people will be with you in good times, but let sorrow and misery come, then where are those friends? There is only one true and loyal friend. There is only One who has proven His right to be your everlasting friend. He is Jesus Christ!

         Where did the young man go? Back to his pleasures? There is a certain amount of gratification in the pleasures of this world – but they don’t last. Only the pleasures that Jesus offers last forever. At His right hand are fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore.

         Where did he go? To heaven? No! There are those who say that it doesn’t matter what a person believes. All roads, they say, lead at last to heaven. This is not what God tells us. Jesus says – “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” It is written – “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed…but with the precious blood of Christ.”

         Though money is indispensable in buying a home here on earth, it can’t buy a home in heaven. In fact, the love of money may keep a person from heaven. So it was with the rich young man. Because of his possessions he left Jesus, and when he did, he left all hope of heaven behind. This same Jesus stands before us this morning, full of love, and now asks us – “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Think of all that God has given you. Think of all that God has done for you, the mercy He has shown you. And remember that He has given you His love for one purpose and one purpose alone – to save you, to make you His own, to share eternity with you, and to make you an heir of salvation.

         Do you know what salvation cost your Lord? Go back into history about 2000 years, back to Bethlehem, back to Nazareth, back to Gethsemane, back to Calvary. That’s what it cost God – Calvary! He fixed His eyes of Calvary and the cross! He died there so that our sins might be forgiven. He died that we might become the children of God. He died that we might not miss heaven.

         They used to go to the cross to die – now they go there to live. It used to be a place of death – now it is a place of eternal life. “Come, follow me…and you will have treasure in heaven.” May God give us grace that we come to Jesus, and may He keep us always in His grace and love. May it never be said of you or me – “He went away sad.” Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.