October 5, 2023

Mark 10: 17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (NIV)

When Jesus came he was really man and really God.*

The writer of Hebrews tells us that Jesus was made human in every way (2: 17). The big-picture reason was so that he could make atonement for our sins, but, just a little less importantly, it was so that he could relate to us and we could relate to him. Nevertheless . . . his divinity made him unique, especially when it came to individual confrontations with people. He knew their hearts and their motives. What a challenge it must have been for him to answer the question that a person actually asked rather than to address the subtext behind the question.

So, this man flings himself at Jesus’ feet and asks what he has to do to inherit eternal life. I suppose if this happened to me, I would start right in on the plan of salvation – but Jesus knew things that I wouldn’t. Number one: he knew the man was rich. Number two: Jesus knew the guy wasn’t going to do what he told him to do. So Jesus employs one of his standard tactics: answering a question with a question. I don’t know the motivation behind it – was it just a way to stall? Or to put the other person on the defensive? Or did he truly want the man to answer the question?

In the end, the man went away sad, but Jesus used the opportunity to teach his disciples something that we should all know: There is nothing that we can do to inherit eternal life. It is a gift from God, impossible to earn. But, Jesus told them, all things are possible with God. Eternal life is ours because Jesus became like us “in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.” (Hebrews 2: 17). That’s what Jesus did so that we can inherit eternal life.

We have to realize that we cannot earn . . . anything from God; we must either receive it as a gift or do without it.*