Read: Mark 10:13-31

Last Sunday Dr. Matt Hall from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary preached the message, “A New Generation, A Loss of Memory, and God’s Judgment,” from Judges 2:6-15. This Sunday Ken will continue our series in Mark: Who Do You Say that I Am? with a message from Mark 10:13-31. As you prepare your heart for our corporate gathering, let these words from Dr. Akin encourage you and move you to further consider the state of your heart before God.

Heart Preparation

Jesus was continuing His journey toward Jerusalem. Our Savior is engaging the disciples in teaching about true discipleship and His forthcoming crucifixion and resurrection. They are struggling students who can’t grasp what He is saying. Jesus has just told them that those who enter the kingdom of God must be like a little child (10:13-16). All must come to Jesus with nothing, in total dependence on Him. No one can earn the kingdom. The requirement is the same for all: simple, childlike reliance on Jesus. It is that easy. It is in the context of this teaching that one who is the
opposite of a helpless child approaches Jesus.

A man ran up to Jesus. The man had great wealth (“ many possessions”). Luke 18:18 calls him a ruler. Matthew 19:22 says he is young. Thus we call him “the rich young ruler.” He was a man of power, affluence, and influence. Evidently he had heard Jesus teach and was impressed with what he heard. He did not walk to Jesus, he ran to Him. He was eager to get to Him because Jesus “was setting out on a journey.” He may not have another opportunity to talk to this man whose teachings were unlike any he had ever heard. With remarkable respect he “knelt down before Him.” He saw Jesus as a distinguished rabbi and paid Him honor reserved for the great teachers of the law. He certainly had come in the right way (with humility) and to the right person (Jesus).

And Jesus will readily identify with the rich young ruler. After all, He was about 30 years of age Himself. And He, too, was rich— far richer than this man could possibly imagine. As the Son of God, Jesus had lived for all of eternity in the glory, wealth, love, and sweet fellowship of His Father. What He was about to ask this man to do was not unfamiliar to Him! He had already left it all behind. Paul says it perfectly in 2 Corinthians 8: 9, “Though He was rich, for your sake He became poor, so that by His poverty you might become rich.”

“And [Jesus would say] I am going into a poverty deeper than anyone has ever known. . . . I am giving it all away. Why? For you. Now, [get ready, I am going to ask] you [to] give away everything to follow me. If I gave away my ‘big all’ to get you, can you give away your ‘little all’ to follow me? I won’t ask you to do anything I haven’t already done. I’m the ultimate Rich Young Ruler who has given away the ultimate wealth to get you. Now, you need to give away yours to get me” (Keller, King’s Cross, 136).

Excerpt from Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in Mark, by Daniel L. Akin, pp. 220-221.

Song List for Sunday

1. Let Your Kingdom Come, by Sovereign Grace Music
2. The Wonderful Cross, by Joel Engle
3. The Depths of Your Love, by North Wake Music
4. Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, by Michael W. Smith
5. Come Ye Sinners, by Daniel Renstrom