By: Liza Proch, crosswalk.com
The crowd’s murmuring stilled. Everyone stared in disbelief as the young man made his way toward the front of the circle of onlookers. His clothes were made of rich material and royal colors. His hair was cut in the latest fashion. His stride was confident. The rings on his fingers and jewels on his collar glistened in the sun’s rays.
He was not one to mingle with the common folk of the village. His time was spent with the highly educated and the prosperous. He was popular. He was religious. He was rich. He had everything that anybody would wish for. Or did he?
There was one thing missing. In his heart, this rich young man felt the need for something more. Something deeper. He had heard of a man called Jesus who offered what he was seeking. So he strapped on his richly embroidered camel skin sandals and started off to find this teacher. He found this carpenter called Jesus surrounded by a diverse crowd made up of tax collectors, merchants, housewives, children, and students. The rich young man asked Him a question.
“Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”
Jesus replied, “If you would enter life, keep the commandments.”
Surely there must be more to it that that! The man replied, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?”
Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
You could have heard a pin drop. The young man stared at Jesus for a moment, then dropped his eyes to the ground as his heart sank. He could afford good deeds—a donation here, a loaf of bread to an orphan there. He avoided lying, stealing, and cheating. That cost him nothing.
But to give everything away? To sell all his stuff? Was Jesus crazy? How could He even say such a thing? What would people say?
His thoughts crashed around inside his head, and finally he raised his eyes, suddenly full of sorrow. There was sorrow in the eyes of the Teacher, too. Sorrow mixed with hope. But the rich young man stood for only a moment longer staring into those eyes, then turned away, moving slowly through the crowd, climbed into his dazzling chariot, and rode away, his rich red cloak flapping in the wind.
Keeping Eternity in Mind
The rich young man was so caught up in being happy and fulfilled in the moment that he missed the chance to be happy and fulfilled for eternity. The idea of letting go of his earthly treasure was so awful to him, he chose temporary pleasure instead of everlasting perfection.
It’s easy to look at this story and only see the rich young man—to convince ourselves it doesn’t have much to do with us. But let’s choose to slip into his camel-skinned sandals and walk a mile or two.
When we make a choice today (whether to listen to certain music, eat the fifth donut, or sign up for that class), it affects our future. What we do now makes a difference later on. Are the decisions we’re making eternity-focused or are they based on pleasure in the moment?
It’s easy to get caught up in the heat and pressure of the moment, but when we keep an eternal perspective, our choices won’t be based on the way we feel right now, but on the eternal view of things. So let’s learn from that rich young man. Let’s not get all tied up in the pleasures of the culture that we miss the opportunity to have happiness and fulfillment through Jesus for eternity.
One Thing You Lack
Hey you, rich young ruler…
Maybe you’re old for pro football, but you’re young to the rest of the world. And rich. You’ve negotiated salary-cap-friendly deals with your team, but that still has you at a guaranteed $33 million over the next five seasons.
And as much as anyone in this generation, you have ruled the NFL — three Super Bowl rings, twice Super Bowl MVP, twice league MVP, eight Pro Bowls, and five Super Bowl appearances in ten seasons. You hold the record for most touchdown passes in a single regular season, have the highest career playoff win total in NFL history, and are the first quarterback to lead a team to ten division titles. The Associated Press even named you Male Athlete of the Year in 2007.
But as you admitted on 60 Minutes at age 30, you know all this isn’t enough. “Why do I have three Super Bowl rings and still think there’s something greater out there for me?… There has to be more than this.”
Many would say you have it all, but one thing you lack.
Real Achievement
What’s that? Another ruler, richer and younger?
Even though it meant a pay cut to take your talents to South Beach for a chance at a championship, $17.5 million a year is still mindboggling to most of us. They call you “King,” and you rule your sport as the one widely considered the best basketball player in the world today. You’re a three-time league MVP, nine-time All Star, and this past January, at age 28, you became the youngest player in NBA history to reach 20,000 career points. And you finally got your ring in 2012, and became Finals MVP in the process.
At last, it may seem like you have it all. But one thing you lack.
Real Money
Oh, really? Another young ruler, but all the richer?
Pro athletes are poor compared to the chairman and chief executive of Facebook. They have their millions; you have your billions — with a net worth of $10 billion. You launched The Facebook from your lowly Harvard dorm room in 2004 and became a billionaire by age 23. A major motion picture chronicled your story in 2010. You rule the Internet with few rivals. All that, and you’re only 28.
You describe yourself as an atheist. One thing you lack.
Real Fame
But can you compare that with an Oscar for Best Actress at age 22?
In 2012, you ascended to your rule: awards from the Screen Actors Guild, Golden Globe, Independent Spirit, Satellite, and that Academy Award for Best Actress which made you the youngest person ever to be nominated for two Best Actress Oscars and the second youngest Best Actress winner. You achieved international success in The Hunger Games and became the highest-grossing action heroine of all time. Now you’re making $10 million for the sequel. Your work so far has experts calling you “the most talented young actress in America.”
You seem to have it all so soon. But one thing you lack.
Real Youth
But what about that honey-dipped voice with screaming tweens in the background?
You just turned 19, and already you have teens everywhere humming your songs and copying your haircut. You’re the first artist to have seven songs from your debut album break the top 100. You won Artist of the Year at both the 2010 and 2012 American Music Awards. With 35 million followers on Twitter, over $50 million per year income, and almost 20 million albums sold, you were named third-most-powerful celebrity in the world last year by Forbes magazine.
Perhaps you have Jesus. You claim to be a Christian, but say you don’t want to push him on others. We genuinely hope you already do have him. But if you don’t, one thing you lack.
What Really Matters
Achievement, money, fame, and youth — none evil in themselves. All can be used for good, and all fall desperately short of what really matters. Such seeming success may bring you worldwide acceptance. But what about acceptance with God?
There was a rich, young ruler once who stood face to face with God’s Son. Not only did he have his youth and money, but achievement. But he knew he was lacking something.
“Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“You know the commandments…”
“All these I have kept from my youth.”
“One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” (Luke 18:18–22)
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