Mystery: Embracing the Truth of the GospelSample

Today’s passage is a continuation of the rich young ruler story, the conversation that happened between Jesus and His disciples after the sad young ruler left.

When the rich young ruler rejected Jesus’ offer of salvation, Jesus felt for him. He didn’t think the young man made the right choice, but He knew how hard temptation could be to resist, especially for someone who had so much to lose. After all, Jesus had faced it Himself. Although He had been able to resist and remain without sin, Jesus still felt compassion for those who suffered as a result of their own poor choices. Even so, Jesus couldn’t change the rules.

The rich young ruler and others like him might have done some good things in their lives, but nothing they could have done would ever be good enough to erase the sin in their lives, and a perfect God can’t have fellowship with imperfection. Knowing this, Jesus never tried to make people feel better about their sin or eternal condition. He accepted them as they were. He demonstrated patience. He also extended mercy and grace to illustrate God’s love in a way they could understand. But He never failed to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so that they might be rescued from both the immediate and long-term effects of their sin.

Not only did Jesus feel compassion for people who made the wrong choice, but He also recognized and appreciated the sacrifice of those who made the right choice and let go of everything but Him. Although salvation from eternal punishment for sin is definitely its own reward, it sometimes takes a while for us to feel the full impact; and the choice to follow Jesus often costs us in the short term. We may even have to watch people who reject Jesus enjoy the things we’ve given up—wealth, social standing, comfort, safety, etc.—while we wait. Understanding this struggle, Jesus encouraged and motivated His disciples by telling them what they had to look forward to. His words to them are His words to you.

What are you learning about God’s love? Is the cost of following Jesus worth it?