1 God in the First PlaceSample

ALWAYS GOD FIRST

“Jesus was about to go on his way when a man came running up to him and, on his knees, asked, "Good Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" (Mk. 10:17).

Little is what we know about the evangelist named Mark, but it is much and very important what he tells us in his gospel. Already in his first words, Mark announces to us the good news that Jesus is“the Messiah, the Son of God" (1:1; see the introduction to Matthew), and then presents John the Baptist as the one who would prepare the way for him (1:2-3). In the rest of his Gospel, Mark reveals a certain urgency to announce to the whole world who Jesus is. For Mark, Jesus' life and death are proof that he came “to serve others" and"to free people who are slaves to sin, "even if doing so would cost them their lives (cf. Mk 10:45).

In Mark 10, we find an account of the life of Jesus that parallels the synoptic gospels and that we will use to explain why it is important to understand that serving God and putting Him first in our lives is much more than a simple religious formalism, as it was at the time of Christ's earthly ministry.

The narrative points out that many young people have given themselves to the task of serving God but do not feel sure of their salvation or that what they do is necessary to be saved, probably the reality is that their life of worship is only limited to what happens in certain environments or that in worshipping they are doing it to be seen by men and not by God.

The text describes Jesus ready to leave for a new place when suddenly a young scriptural connoisseur arrives and kneels and asks, "What good shall I do to inherit eternal life?" (Mark 10:17). The young man recognized something different in the life of Jesus and therefore the young man wanted that, but not the giver of life.

It often happens to us that we understand needing blessings or the fulfillment of divine promises but not giving anything of who we are to God.

From the story of the rich young man and Jesus' response, "Do you know the commandments?" We learn several important lessons:

God must be first in everything. Psalm 1 points out that, although we are exposed to sin and to wicked men, our delight must be Jehovah's law. Jesus declares, "If you love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15). The commandments quoted by Jesus to the rich young man make it clear that our affective relationships must give evidence of who lives in our hearts.

Pride and arrogance distance us from God. The young man was enthusiastic about receiving God's approval, but sadly he did not want God to direct his life. We are arrogant when we believe that our unusual ability distinguishes us morally from the ordinary when in reality, our life will be different when we submit to God.

Do not come to Jesus with pride; Your achievements cannot earn your salvation. The good news we need is that only Jesus saves us. Arrogance blinds us to that need. Instead of trying to secure eternal life and peace through personal achievement, draw near to Jesus. He offers you the freedom to try to earn salvation and frees you from moral pride. Following Jesus requires a relationship based on the love of God and the love of the neighbor.

The story of the rich young man teaches us that our priority must be Christ. A man is not saved by giving away his possessions. He becomes a Christian when he is willing to give up anything that stands between him and Christ. Nothing in life should have greater relevance in our lives than God and what He offers us and, at the same time, demands of us.

Reflect: there is a special place for God in your life. He must be first in everything, and there is nothing so valuable in the world that can make your life sad to the point of making you turn your back on God.

- David Rosario is a pastor in Bonao, Dominican Republic.