Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” 18 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one [is] good but One, [that is], God. 19 “You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ” 20 And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.” 21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” 22 But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

– Mark 10:17-22 (NKJV)

There is a genre of video games out there where the character has a pack of items he can collect/ purchase along the way. Some of the items are really cool and are rare or expensive. Other items are common stuff, but they might come in handy in a pinch. The character usually has a limited capacity backpack. So if you go to pick up a new item and the pack is already full, the game will say that you can’t add anything else until you get rid of something else in your pack. If the item you were trying to pick up was more valuable than the stuff you already had, you would gladly throw out what you had to get the new item.

As Jesus deals with the rich young ruler, it becomes apparent that this guy seems to have it all… and that was the problem, he had too much. Too much confidence in his own ability to “do” something to merit eternal life. This guy didn’t need to “do” anything, he just had to receive what Jesus would do for him. The problem is that he didn’t have any room to receive what Christ had done. The only way that he would be able to embrace eternal life was to let go of the stuff he was holding on to. (not because Jesus wanted his money, he said to give it all to the poor!) The only way we can approach Jesus and it do us any good is to come humbly and empty so that he might fill us.

Father, We love you and want to grow in knowledge of you and your word. We are grateful that eternal life isn’t something we merit or achieve, but something given to us by grace. Please don’t let us hold on to anything so tightly that we miss what has been so freely done and given for us. Give us grace to receive what you have done for us and walk in faith today. Give us discernment as we apply your word to our lives. In Jesus Name, Amen.