Time In-Between

"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." Mark 10:21-22

In Mark 10:17-31, a man asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life.

The man's body language, his use of words, his ultimate response all seem to indicate someone who has no ill intention towards Jesus. Instead, I see:

Eagerness and humility - "ran up to him and fell on his knees before him." v. 17
Desire to please - "Good Teacher" v. 17
Seeking to secure his future - "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" v. 17
Willingness to live within the law - "all these I have kept" v. 20
Need for affirmation - "Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy." v. 20

What does Jesus see?

He looks beyond the surface of the question and sees that the man lacks the most important thing of all: an unhindered path to Jesus.

He sees great wealth. He sees an accumulation of possessions. He sees the power that comes from title and position. He sees the security that comes from money. He sees the pride that accompanies a checklist of laws kept since childhood. He sees how all of these things added together create a monumental roadblock between life as the man knows it and the radical life required to follow Jesus Christ.

Jesus sees the roadblock and names it. He offers the man a way to clear the path. He invites the man to make the needed change in his life and then to join Jesus in ministry. Jesus knows, even as he speaks, what the man's response will be.

"How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!" v. 23

Jesus does not stop loving the wealthy man even though he is unable, unwilling, to do the hard thing Jesus has asked. There is no ridicule or condemnation in his voice. That is not the Savior's way.

Jesus speaks with understanding. He uses the encounter as a teaching moment for his disciples. He wants them to see as he sees. To understand as he understands. To have compassion as he has compassion. To love as he loves.

Following Jesus is not easy. Removing the things in my life which hinder my faith walk takes courage and great sacrifice. It also requires a radical change of heart. Quite often there is a lag in the time in-between the initial moment of understanding what I must do and the moment when I finally follow through in obedience. That lag time can be anywhere from a few minutes, to hours, days...sometimes, even, years.

Jesus taught his disciples understanding, compassion, and love. As his disciple, it is not my place to judge others as they struggle on their own journeys. Minutes, hours, days, years...if Jesus is willing to love me in the "time in-between" then I must be willing to do the same.

"Jesus looked at him and loved him." v. 21a

Please, Jesus, teach me how to love like you.