Unvarnished Jesus: A Lenten JourneyEjemplo

Thursday, March 7

Mark 10:17–31

Jesus and the Rich Young Ruler

Here’s something interesting. In telling the rich young ruler what he needs to do to participate in the kingdom of God, Jesus summarizes the final six decrees of the Ten Commandments, the tenth being, “You shall not covet.” But what does it mean "not to covet"? In Mark, Jesus says, “Do not defraud.” In Matthew, it’s changed to, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” And in Luke, Jesus omits the tenth commandment altogether to emphasize that this is the one thing the young man lacks. The truth is that for most people economic self-interest is the single greatest obstacle to full participation in the kingdom of God. We cannot love our neighbor as our self without being willing to share our wealth. Selah.