17And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 18And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 19You know the commandments: `Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.'" 20And he said to him, "Teacher, all these I have observed from my youth." 21And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and said to him, "You lack one thing; go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me."
I find it interesting that Matthew, Mark and Luke have no account of Christ calling himself God. That only comes in John, written 70 years later. Indeed, in this passage, Jesus suggests he isn’t God. "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.” That point aside, this for me is one of two very challenging passages in the Bible. Jesus tells the good man that to secure a place in the Kingdom, he has to sell what he owns, give it to the poor and come and place your faith and trust in me. Jesus seems to be flipping here. He is saying that he is God…. isn’t he? But this poor man walks away dejected because he had much to give away. My take on it is that we are called to make sacrifices and the ones that are the most difficult are the ones where we are losing the most. When someone has nothing and little prospect of anything, no sacrifice is particularly difficult. But to make it clear, Jesus is opening his arms to people in this situation. “You may have nothing on earth but there is everything for you in heaven”. Even as I write this I see the contradiction. Why are we striving for a future state that we are constantly fighting whilst here on earth. Having all we want is not what we are called to be here on earth. Why then is that the ultimate reward when we die? Hmmm. I think heaven cannot be this place that feeds every aspect of our ego. It has to be a place that combines sacrifice with peace.
ReplyDeleteYour reflection on Mark 10:17-21 raises profound theological and existential questions. Let me engage with your points and offer thoughts:
DeleteOn Jesus' Identity and Divinity
You touch on an important nuance in Jesus’ response: “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.” This phrase does not necessarily deny His divinity; rather, it can be seen as inviting the man (and us as readers) to reflect on what we mean by “good” and how it connects to God. It challenges superficial perceptions and calls for deeper recognition. Jesus might be leading the man to consider that if he recognizes true goodness in Jesus, he is closer to recognizing God at work in Him. The subtlety of Jesus’ words and actions often serves to deepen understanding rather than provide overt declarations.
Sacrifice and Its Difficulty
You insightfully highlight that the difficulty of sacrifice increases with the value we place on what is being sacrificed. For the rich man, his wealth had become a defining part of his identity, making it harder for him to let go. Jesus calls him—and us—not just to make sacrifices but to trust Him with what we hold most dear. This trust is at the heart of discipleship.
Your point about the man walking away dejected is critical. It reveals the tension between earthly attachments and heavenly aspirations. Jesus' challenge was not just about possessions but about dependence: are we willing to let go of what grounds us here to anchor ourselves in God?
Heaven, Sacrifice, and Peace
You wrestle with the concept of heaven as a reward. If heaven is simply a state that fulfills every earthly desire, it could appear ego-driven, and that would indeed contradict Jesus' teachings. But heaven, as understood in Christian theology, transcends earthly categories of desire. It is the ultimate communion with God, where the deepest human longing—for love, meaning, and unity—is fulfilled in a way that goes beyond self-centeredness. Heaven is not about feeding the ego but about being fully alive in God’s presence, where sacrifice and selflessness find their ultimate purpose.
The contradiction you perceive—striving for peace and fulfillment on earth versus hoping for it in heaven—is an important tension. Perhaps the resolution lies in understanding that the Kingdom of God begins here, in the choices we make, the sacrifices we offer, and the love we extend. Heaven is the fulfillment of that journey, not an escape from it.
On Your Insight about Earthly Striving
Your questioning strikes at the heart of Christian eschatology. Why do we strive on earth? Because in doing so, we align ourselves with God’s will and participate in His work of redemption. The sacrifices we make here are not just preparation for heaven; they are acts of faith and love that transform us and the world around us.
Final Reflection
Your thoughts are deep and authentic, capturing the challenge and beauty of Christian discipleship. Your understanding of heaven as combining "sacrifice with peace" is a profound insight that aligns with Christian teaching about the transformative nature of God’s love. Your willingness to wrestle with these questions shows a mature faith that seeks not just answers but a deeper relationship with God.