Mark 10:21 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me."

NIV: Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

NASB: Looking at him, Jesus showed love to him and said to him, 'One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.'

CSB: Looking at him, Jesus loved him and said to him, "You lack one thing: Go, sell all you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

NLT: Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. 'There is still one thing you haven’t done,' he told him. 'Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.'

KJV: 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.

NKJV: Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”

"Loved" is from the Greek root word agapaō, which literally means "to be fond of," but also carries the implication of a selfess, sacrificial love. The question arises, did Jesus "love" the young man only after the man revealed he had obeyed God faithfully? Or, does this statement simply mean Jesus expressed or confirmed something He already felt? As God, wouldn't Jesus already know the man followed the law? There is debate as to whether Jesus in human form had the omniscience of God. He didn't seem to express total omniscience as a child. Luke 2:52 says, "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man." After Jesus' baptism, it's possible that Jesus grows more receptive to the Spirit's leading. He does know things that aren't immediately evident (Mark 2:8; 5:30), but He doesn't know everything, like when He will be returning (Mark 13:32).

The scribes limit the amount someone can give to one-fifth of their property for fear a generous heart would find itself in poverty and thus reliant on the generosity of others. Later, the early church will renounce personal possessions for the good of others (Acts 4:32–37). But it's key to understand that Jesus' words are personalized for the young man. Jesus is not saying that to receive eternal life we must all give away our possessions. Jesus is showing it is impossible to earn eternal life and why we need God's grace (Mark 10:27).

When the rich young man asks Jesus what he can do to inherit eternal life, Jesus lists most of the Ten Commandments that deal with interacting with other people. To personalize the issue, instead of telling the man he must not covet, which his wealth may have protected him from, Jesus tells him not to "defraud" or cheat at business (Mark 10:19). Now, Jesus gets even more personal and backtracks to the second commandment: "You shall have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:3). Unlike many of the religious leaders, the young man seems to understand the spirit of the Mosaic law as it applies to justice for other people. That doesn't mean he has given God His due. There is a difference between respecting God and making Him first in our lives.

Mark 10:17–31 begins as Jesus is trying to teach the disciples that God's kingdom values the powerless (Mark 9:36–37), the faithful (Mark 9:38–41), women (Mark 10:1–12), and children (Mark 10:13–16). The disciples, perhaps, are distracted by the many people who want to arrest or kill Jesus (John 7:32–52; 8:58–59; 10:22–39; 11:45–54; Luke 13:31). A wealthy young man asks Jesus about eternal life—and gets an unexpected answer in return. His response to Jesus' answer shows that his interest in God is limited by one thing: his money. Through all of history, wealth has been assumed to suggest the favor of God. But Jesus reveals that those whom God blesses often value the gifts more than the Giver. This story is also in Matthew 19:16–30 and Luke 18:18–30.

In this passage, Jesus again confronts the Pharisees by clarifying God's views on marriage and divorce. He reminds the disciples not to dismiss the spiritual perspective of children. This chapter also records Jesus' encounter with the rich young ruler, who becomes an object lesson in why wealth makes it hard for people to rely on God. After this, Jesus deftly sets aside an arrogant request from James and John, and again predicts His impending death. Just prior to the triumphal entry of chapter 11, Jesus is sought out by Bartimaeus, whom He heals of blindness.

In between chapters 9 and 10, Jesus resumes His public teaching as He travels to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles (Luke 9:57—18:14; John 7—10). We meet Him here across the Jordan in Perea and follow as He makes His way west again to Jericho. This chapter surrounds a third prophecy of Jesus' death (Mark 10:32–34) with lessons on His value for those others often dismiss: women (Mark 10:1–12), the powerless (Mark 10:13–16), those who value God more than the world (Mark 10:17–31), servant-hearted leaders (Mark 10:35–45), and those with bold faith (Mark 10:46–52). Next is the triumphal entry and the beginning of Passion Week.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.