Longing for Eternal Life Mark 10:17-27

Personal preparation

Main message

God makes our ‘impossible' possible.

Structure

1. A young man turns away from eternal life. (v. 17-22)

2. Shocked disciples and a great possibility for God (v. 23-27)

Observation, interpretation

Basic ideas of the text:

a) No one can earn eternal life because no one is good.

b) Eternal life can only be received by entering into a relationship with the Creator Who loves us. It is given to us as a gift of this relationship. Out of love, Jesus invites us to leave everything else behind and let Him have first place in our life (=1st commandment) and follow Him.

c) The rich man tries to secure his life on earth through his great possessions and eternal life by doing good things.

17 The question is important to the young man; the way he approaches Jesus emphasises this.

The basic problem of human thinking can be recognised in his first words: Man is good; he can earn eternal life by doing good works.

Despite following the commandments (v. 20), he realises that he is missing something.

18 Jesus' harsh question in return shows: Only God is good. Apparently, the young man has not understood who he is talking to. He calls Jesus "good", but more importantly he has to realise that he is not going to get a "good" answer, but a divine one.

19 Jesus mentions commandments that deal with brotherly love and thus is refering to the decalogue (the ten commandments) Jesus follows the man's line of thinking in order to deepen his thinking in this area.

20 Jesus accepts the man's statement as true.

21 At the start of the conversation, the young man's relationship with Jesus is that of a student to a teacher (Jesus is called teacher twice). However Jesus calls the young man to follow Him, to become one of His beloved disciples. This shows Jesus' love for this man. Jesus asks the man to trust in Him. Jesus does not add an 11th commandment but confronts the man with the first commandment - the man's love for God. The purpose of selling his possessions is not the loss of these possessions but rather to gain what the man desires most by following Jesus. Jesus wants to help the man to follow Him, and so answers the man's initial question with the invitation to follow Him. To follow Jesus means to inherit eternal life.

His wealth required the man to continue living an empty life. He leaves: sad, nameless, without being mentioned again.

His possessions are so important to him that he is unable to devote himself to Jesus.

23 ff Jesus now talks to His disciples and teaches them. The door to eternal life that the young man believed to be open for him closes in five stages.

1. You know the commandments (v. 19).

2. Sell everything you have ... follow Me (v. 21)

3. How hard ... Jesus compares this specific case to the "the rich" in general (v. 23).

4. It is easier for a camel ... (v. 25). Now it becomes impossible for the rich to enter the kingdom of God. This comparison can persuasively be understood literally. Interpretations that explain this text by refering to the ‘narrow eye' of the needle-gate in Jerusalem are not entirely convincing.

5. With men this is impossible ... (v. 27). Now the door is completely closed for everyone. Jesus opposes the impossible (v. 27) with the What must I do (v. 17) in a shocking (see the disciples) and liberating way (Romans 3,28). The whole encounter ends surprisingly in a great possibility. This possibility is found in God and not in man. Jesus opens up this new possibility for us on the cross.

Additional comments

Eternal life (v. 17) and Kingdom of God (v. 23-25) are terms that refer here to the same idea.

Master (v. 17) stands for teacher.

Be prepared to explain the possibility that God has (v.27)! It might be good to read Romans 3:9-28 together with the participants. Jesus Himself took on the cross our place to take sin on Himself and to give us his righteousness in an act of grace.

Group discussion

Introduction

Option: Before announcing today's Bible text, start the study with a discussion answering the following questions: What do I associate with eternal life? How do I understand eternal life? When do I think about eternal life? After some minutes of discussing, we go on to study the text.

Questions

1. What concept of life does the young man have when he comes to Jesus? What does he think of eternal life?

2. What does Jesus' harsh question do to this conversation? What purpose is Jesus pursuing?

3. How does Jesus try to change the man's concept of life by asking him to sell all his possessions and follow Him (v. 21)? Jesus wants to win him over to something. What is it?

4. How does Jesus talk to the disciples? What is the purpose of His discussion with them? What shocks them? In which way is it possible for everyone to enter the kingdom of God?

Application

1. Maybe we do not have many possessions; what hinders us then in following Jesus? What do I think about Jesus' invitation: Come and follow Me; what do I feel?

2. What has to happen before I can follow Jesus as He asks me to (v. 21)? How can I take the first step towards Him?

3. To what extent do we consider God's possibilities in our life?

4. Who or what defines the picture I have of myself?

Closing remarks

In today's study we saw how impossible it is for humans to receive eternal life unless God opens a divine possibility. In the next study, we will see what the implications are for those who want to follow this divine possibility.