April-June, 2016
“There came one running, and kneeled to [Jesus], and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions” (Mark 10:17–22). . . .
Christ was drawn to the young ruler by the purity of his life. He accepted his words; for He knew him to be sincere in his assertion, "All these things have I observed from my youth.". . .
Christ read the ruler’s heart. He traced from cause to effect, and He knew that the ruler’s position and great possessions would have a demoralizing effect upon his whole nature and would develop a character that would lead him to worship himself and his riches; that his desire to lay up treasure in heaven would grow less and less; and that he would enter into engagements that would be a snare to him.
Christ gave this young man a test. He allowed him all freedom in his choice. He presented the weak spot in his character. He was not to be forced to decide one way or the other. He was left free to choose heavenly treasure or worldly greatness. The heavenly treasure was assured him if he would follow Christ, yielding up everything to him. This was the only safe way for him to choose. There need have been no delay; the yielding could have been done at once. But if he accepted and believed in Christ, self must yield; his will must be given into Christ’s control. . . .
Verily, Christ’s words to the young ruler were the invitation, "Choose you this day whom ye will serve" (Joshua 24:15). The choice was left with him. Jesus loved him and was yearning for his conversion. He had shown him the plague-spot in his character; and with what yearning he watched the issue as the young man weighed the question! If he decided to follow Christ, he must obey His words in everything. He must turn from his ambitious projects. With what earnest, anxious longing, with what soul-hunger, did Christ look at the young man, hoping that he would yield to the invitation of the Spirit of God! . . .
[The ruler’s] exalted position and his possessions were exerting a subtle influence for wrong upon his character. If cherished, they would supplant God in his affections. To keep back little or much from God was to keep back that which would weaken his moral strength and efficiency; for if the things of this earth are cherished, however uncertain and unworthy they may be, they will become all-absorbing. . . . Heaven’s treasure could be obtained only by exchanging the earthly and temporal for the eternal.—The Youth’s Instructor, May 20, 1897. [Emphasis added.]
The experience of the young ruler who valued his riches above the heavenly treasure is presented to us as an object lesson. It contains a lesson for us all. The young man turned from Christ, saying, inwardly, "I will not have this man as my leader." Christ was not as much to him as his possessions or his name among men. He rejected the offer of eternal life and went away, refusing to follow Jesus; and ever afterward, the world was to receive his worship.
Thousands are passing through this experience, weighing Christ against the world, and many choose the world. Every invitation refused makes the heart harder. Seeds of resistance are sown that will bring a harvest of resistance.
But what a price Christ paid to make it possible for this young man to obtain salvation! He stepped down from the throne of honor, laid off His royal robe and His royal crown, gave back into His Father’s hand the scepter, and veiling divinity with humanity, humbled Himself, and came to a world all seared and marred with the curse. . . .
Think of the elevation, the glory, the majesty that Christ, the only begotten Son of God, possessed! Yet He condescended to leave all this. In behalf of man He descended, step by step in the path of humiliation. He knew, as no human being can know, the elevation from which He descended to become a man among men. . . .
God has given us the rule of conduct which every servant of Jesus Christ must follow. It is obedience to His law, not merely a legal obedience, but an obedience which enters into the entire life and is exemplified in the character. God has set His own standard of character for all who would become subjects of His kingdom. Those who can and will say, "Lord, all I have, and all I am, is Thine," will be given grace and fortitude to come out from the world and be separate. . . .
The world’s policy is to acquire money and advantages in any way that they can be obtained. An accumulation of this world’s treasure is the ambition of worldlings. But the object of the followers of our Lord Jesus Christ is to become Christlike by self-denial and self-sacrifice. . . .
We may never have opportunity to do great things, we may never be required to make sublime sacrifices; but the greatest victory we can gain is to follow Jesus. . . . If we would follow Him over the rugged path of self-denial, we must commence with the earliest years of our life to deny self, and this denial must be carried into the everyday occurrences and actions of life. . . .
Self-surrender is the substance of the teachings of Christ. Often is it presented and enjoined in language that seems authoritative, because there is no other way to save man than to cut away those things which, if entertained, will demoralize the whole being.—Ibid., May 27, 1897. [Emphasis added.]
The ruler . . . possessed qualifications which, if he had been united with Christ, would have enabled him to become a divine force among men. Christ, seeing his character, loved him. If he had made his choice for Christ then, how different would have been his future!—Ibid., May 20, 1897. [Emphasis added.]
Christ would have accepted this talented and noble ruler, if he had yielded to His requirements, as readily as He accepted the poor fishermen whom He bade to follow Him. The young man’s ability to acquire property was not against him, provided he loved his neighbor as himself, and had not wronged another in acquiring his riches. That very ability, had it been employed in the service of God in seeking to save souls from ruin, would have been acceptable to the divine Master, and he might have made a diligent and successful worker for Christ. But he refused the exalted privilege of cooperating with Christ in the salvation of souls; he turned away from the glorious treasure promised him in the kingdom of God, and clung to the fleeting treasures of earth.
We fear this is the case with many who profess to keep the commandments of God. . . . The young man had wealth, education, position, and influence, and was therefore qualified to work intelligently and successfully for the Master. But his love of the world prevented him from accepting the invitation of Christ. —The Review and Herald, March 21, 1878 [Emphasis added.].
The humble fishermen obeyed the call of Jesus and forsook all to follow Him. It may appear to some that it required little self-denial for them to do this, as their business was neither elevated nor lucrative; but it should be remembered that these men owned boats and nets, and obtained a good livelihood by their occupation. Also their life upon the water had its attractions, and it was a great sacrifice for them to leave the employment in which they had thus far spent their lives.
The young ruler represents a large class who would be excellent Christians if there was no cross for them to lift, no humiliating burden for them to bear, no earthly advantages to resign, no sacrifice of property or feelings to make. Christ has entrusted to them capital of talents and means, and He expects corresponding returns. That which we possess is not our own but is to be employed in serving Him from whom we have received all we have. —Ibid. [Emphasis added.]
“[The fishermen] forsook all, and followed [Jesus]” (Luke 5:11).