BIBLE READING PLAN
WEEK 6 – EXITING OUR IDOLS
DAY 2
This week in our readings, we’re looking at the theme of Exiting our Idols from Exodus 7-11. Today we look at Mark 10.
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.” At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
Reflection: The story of the rich young ruler is as sad as it is shocking. Here is a young man who knows there is a God, heaven and hell, eternal life, and even knows that Jesus has the answer. However, he has an idol in his heart. Jesus sees it and tells him, “Sell everything you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven” (10:22). In comparison to eternal life, his earthly riches were nothing. But the young man couldn’t do it. He walked away from eternal life; he walked sadly but intentionally.- Are there areas in your heart you are not allowing God to touch? Talk to Him about that.
- Pray for the Easter services as people hear the gospel, that they would respond by giving their life to Jesus, not walk away sad holding on to their idols.
17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’” 20 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.” 21 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.” 22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. 23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” 28 Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!” 29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
Reflection: The story of the rich young ruler is as sad as it is shocking. Here is a young man who knows there is a God, heaven and hell, eternal life, and even knows that Jesus has the answer. However, he has an idol in his heart. Jesus sees it and tells him, “Sell everything you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven” (10:22). In comparison to eternal life, his earthly riches were nothing. But the young man couldn’t do it. He walked away from eternal life; he walked sadly but intentionally. The story of the rich young ruler is as sad as it is shocking. Here is a young man who knows there is a God, heaven and hell, eternal life, and even knows that Jesus has the answer. However, he has an idol in his heart: money. Jesus sees it and tells him, “Sell everything you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven” (10:22). In comparison to eternal life, his riches were nothing. But the young man couldn’t do it. He walked away from eternal life; he walked sadly but intentionally. That is exactly how idolatry works. We’d rather hold onto our “worthless” things than rejoice in the true and living God. The disciples saw how difficult this was to do and asked Jesus, “who can be saved”? The answer: “What is impossible with man is possible with God” (vs27). God can change hearts. God can remove the idols of lives. You could substitute any idol into this story: money, sex, power, work, comfort. How terrible that someone might miss heaven for the sake of _____________ (you fill in the blank).- What did Jesus promise to those who follow Him? (10:28-31)
- Are there areas in your heart you are not allowing God to touch? Talk to Him about that.
- Pray for the Easter services as people hear the gospel, that they would respond by giving their life to Jesus, not walk away sad holding on to their idols.
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.” At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
Reflection: In our Bible passage today, Jesus tells the man that in order to have treasures in Heaven, he needed to sell everything he had, give it all to the poor, and follow Jesus. Did the man in the story do this? Nope! Instead, he got sad, and walked away. Even though Jesus told him what to do, the man didn’t want to do it. He cared more about his money and things than he did about Jesus. Now, do you think that this story is Jesus telling us that we aren’t allowed to have anything, and that we need to sell everything we have so that we can follow Jesus? No way! Jesus isn’t asking us to have nothing, but He is asking us to care more about Him than anything else. He wants to make sure that there isn’t anything that we care about SO much, that we would choose it instead of Jesus. Once we’ve made Jesus the number one priority in our lives, we can store up treasures in Heaven!- Is there anything that you care about SO much, that you couldn’t give up for Jesus?
- Is there anything that you have that you could give to someone who needs it? Make a plan to give something away to someone in need. (Try something nice, not just an old sock with holes that you don’t want anymore!)
Focus Verse: 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.” Mark 10:21
Devotional:
The story of the rich young ruler is as sad as it is shocking. Here is a young man, who knows there is a God, a heaven and a hell, eternal life, and even knows that Jesus has the answer. However, he has an idol in his heart. Jesus sees it and tells him “sell everything you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven.” In comparison to eternal life, his earthly riches were nothing. But the young man couldn’t do it. He walked away from eternal life; he walked sadly, but intentionally. That is exactly how idolatry works. We’d rather hold onto our “worthless” things than rejoice in the true and living God. But God can change hearts. God can remove the idols of lives.
- Are there areas in your heart you are not allowing God to touch? Talk to Him about that.
Focus Verse: 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.” Mark 10:21
Devotional:
The story of the rich young ruler is as sad as it is shocking. Here is a young man, who knows there is a God, a heaven and a hell, eternal life, and even knows that Jesus has the answer. However, he has an idol in his heart. Jesus sees it and tells him “sell everything you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven.” In comparison to eternal life, his earthly riches were nothing. But the young man couldn’t do it. He walked away from eternal life; he walked sadly, but intentionally. That is exactly how idolatry works. We’d rather hold onto our “worthless” things than rejoice in the true and living God. But God can change hearts. God can remove the idols of lives.
- Are there areas in your heart you are not allowing God to touch? Talk to Him about that.
