“17 As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness. You shall not defraud. Honor your father and mother.’ ” 20 He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” 21 Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” 22 When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.
23 Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”
28 Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” 29 Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the good news 30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first” Mark 10:17-31.
For me, the key to these verses lie in Jesus’ final observation: “31 But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first” Mark 10:31. What Jesus is saying is one of the hardest points for us to grasp today about our way of looking at the world, and at God. But if we even begin to take it seriously, we’ll see that there is nowhere to hide from Jesus’ uncompromising – though cheerful and celebratory – demand for discipleship. The call to “Come on! Follow me!” echoes down through history, and everyone is judged by the answer they give. Jesus called Simon Peter and his brother, Andrew, who were fishing on the shores of Galilee: “Come, follow Me” Matthew 4:19!
These words are incredible words to live by. They represent and describe the meaning of life. They are the answer to the age-old question: Why did God give me life? Jesus speaks them to each of us every day. Perhaps for some, being “born again” occurred on a single day. For me, it has to occur every day in order for me to respond in God’s grace to this invitation and command of God: “Come, follow Me!”
How about you?
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner.
From the Bible:
“22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “There is still one thing lacking. Sell all that you own and distribute the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me” Luke 18:22.
“24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any wish to come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” Matthew 16:24.
“17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people” Mark 1:17.
“23 Then he said to them all, “If any wish to come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” Luke 9:23.
NOTE: Jesus’ words, “Come, Follow me!”, appear no less than 20 times in the Gospels!
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