Learning to be more loving (not there yet).

Reflecting on Mark 10:17-22

"One thing you lack. Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor" (Mark 10:21)

This man wants to inherit eternal life.
For the Jews, this meant life in God’s restored kingdom of Israel.
This man wanted to make sure he was going to be part of the kingdom.
The Jews knew that lawless, disobedient people would not be in that kingdom.
This man was doing his best to be good enough, to obey God’s laws.
And yet he still did not have peace that he was good enough.

Jesus is gently challenging this man to rethink ‘goodness’.
He reminds him that only God is good, that humans cannot be good enough.
Jesus is not condemning him; Mark makes it clear that Jesus loved him (Mark 10:21).
Because He loved him, He wanted to show him what matters most to God.
Jesus refers to the commandments, and the man thinks that he obeys them.
But goodness is not defined by keeping commandments.
The commandments themselves serve a higher purpose: love.
The goal and intent of these commands is love, not obedience.

This man was meticulous in keeping the commands.
But he was missing something… “one thing you lack!”
What Jesus says next is NOT another command to obey.
“Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor.” (Mark 10:21)
To sell everything and give it to the poor is the result of love.
If that poor person was someone he loved, he WOULD sell everything to help.
People naturally invest themselves for people, or things, they love.
The problem for this man was that he loved himself, not others.
He was not concerned for those who suffered, only for his own future blessing.
He loved his comfort, his wealth, his ease, and wanted it for eternity.
But he did not want this for others.

In God’s restored creation kingdom, such love will be normal.
If we want to share in that blessing, we should seek that kind of love now.
What is eternal life but the eternal experience of being loved, and loving.
This life will be paradise because everyone will experience God’s love.

Jesus is not telling this man that obeying the laws is how we receive eternal life.
Jesus is challenging his law-based understanding of goodness.
He is showing him that love, love in action, is the key to eternal life.
God’s love in action is what we receive by grace.
God’s love in action is what we share with others by grace.

Jesus raises the bar so high, it seems impossible to us.
Do I love all people this much; for sure I don’t.
Only God is good like that, and thank God He is!
This kind of love is impossible for us to imitate completely.
God knows this, but too often we forget it.
Like this man, we think we are, or can be, good enough.
We strive to keep the laws, to show God that we deserve eternal life.
Obeying the law is NOT how we will receive the kingdom.
Humbly accepting God’s love, and sharing it with others, is.

Jesus was not expecting this man to say, ‘OK, I will sell everything…’
This is not a rule to follow, a command to obey.
This man went away sad because he thought this is what Jesus meant.
What this man should have done is said ‘I can’t love like that!’
Then Jesus would have said, ‘now you finally get it!’
Jesus wants us to admit that we do not love.
He wants us to want to love, and to rely on him to become more loving.

Stop trying to be good enough, you will fail.
Stop trying to obey the laws, as if this is all that God wants.
Think about God’s goodness and love, and how God shows that love to you.
Humbly accept God’s love, and then see those around you who need it.
Since you cannot love perfect, start by loving imperfectly.
Give something, share something, say something loving.
Make kindness, compassion, patience, generosity your goal.
Aim for it, admit when you fall short, and keep aiming.
But as you do, keep remembering that God loves you already.
You don’t have to earn His love, you just have to want to share it.
With his help we can grow, little by little, a little more loving.

PRAYER
Lord Jesus, I lack this one thing too. I do not love like this. But You do, and this gives me hope. I choose to aim for loving like this, knowing that I will mess up along the way. 

I offer myself, my heart, my wealth, and I will start by giving something to the next person that asks me. It won't be everything, but it will be something.