Monday Devotional: On Riches and Salvation (Mark 10:17-27)
… We can’t manipulate Jesus. We can’t bend his will to ours. We can’t praise him with our lips without loving him in our hearts and expect him to save us. Jesus says, “Follow me.” That is a call to loving obedience. He doesn’t want superficial discipleship. He wants everything, every part of our lives surrendered at his feet.
The man who approaches Jesus runs to him, kneels before him, and calls him “good Teacher.” Jesus immediately rebuffs the compliment: “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.” Jesus knows that not everyone who approaches him with kind words has the right motive. In chapter 12, the Pharisees and Herodians will approach Jesus and say, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with truth” (v. 14). They are neither his friends nor allies. They approach him with flattery to catch him off guard. There’s no reason to think the rich man in chapter 10 wants to trick or embarrass Jesus, but Jesus still sees there is something not right in his motives. Continue Reading….