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.”
Mark 10:21
Here’s what we know:
Jesus looked at a rich young man and loved him. Then he told him that he was lacking one thing if he wanted to inherit eternal life—he ought to sell all that he had and give it to the poor and then follow Jesus.
Disheartened, the young man went away sorrowful.
Here’s what we don’t know:
What happened to the young man? It’s interesting to speculate that he may have been Barnabas.
In Acts 4:36 we learn that a man named Barnabas, a Levite, a native of Cypress, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
In Acts 11:23–26 we read more about Barnabas: “When he came [to Antioch] and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.
And then he began his work with Paul . . .
Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.”
Is this Barnabas’s response to being loved by Jesus?
What is my response?
Thanks for providing another way of looking at this incident. This would be a difficult decision for most people in the rich young man’s position.
But, it is possible for us to recognize through life experiences (trouble, struggle, pain) that all we really have is God, and His promises through Jesus.
We may not know the end of the story, but we know of instances in the Bible where God has taken away and then restored, even two fold (Job) and where he calls to action to test the heart, and then He provides the sacrifice (Abraham/Isaac/ram).
In the end, we are always better off losing it “all” and following Christ.
Ephesians 1:7-10
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known[a] to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
Thanks so much for your reply Kelli. I like your thoughts on those who have been tested so much more than any of us like Abraham and Job, it is almost like we are sliding on the seat of our pants. But we know each of us has her own cross to bear.