March 1

Mark 10

Once again, we see Jesus "on His way" in verse 17.  As I read this I thought - where is He going next?  Then I thought to myself, maybe there was never really a "next stop" for Jesus.  What if we look at each time we read "Jesus was on His way" it refers to His entire journey to Jerusalem and ultimate destination -- the Cross. What if each account we read about in the Gospels are incidents that happen to Him along the way while He's "on His way".  Jesus always knew where He was going. He also knew what He gave up when He left His throne.  Perhaps that's the challenge He puts before the rich man when Jesus tells him to give everything to the poor and follow Him. After all, isn't that what Jesus did -- He gave up everything for us, the spiritually poor.  Jesus knew the demand that was being placed on Him and while placing that same demand on the rich man to give up his wealth might seem extreme, I think the the real challenge Jesus is asking is are you willing to give up your comfortable life for the world. I believe that is what was at the heart of Jesus' mission.  When Jesus looked at him in verse 12, before He even spoke to the man, Jesus looked at him and loved him. He knew the man would be unable to give up his wealth, but Jesus loved him anyway never losing sight of His own journey.  As it was 2000 years ago, so it is now, wealth is considered a sign of a blessing.  So here we are, faced with the same dilemma as the rich man but Jesus looks at us and loves us anyway knowing we are challenged in so many areas of our lives.  I pray for all of us today that as we follow Jesus we are also  grasping the implied importance what sharing in each others hardships on the journey will entail.  Please let me know how I can pray for you today.

Randi