This is one of the great tragedies found in the Bible.

Jesus has finished blessing the little children, verse 16, and was about to begin His journey toward Jerusalem when a man came running us to Him, and asked “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

1. Who is this man? Matthew’s version of this encounter, states that this man was a young man. Luke adds in that he was a ruler, or prominent man because of his wealth. But what we see in the book of Mark is eye opening.
   a. He was eager because he ran.
   b. He respected Jesus becasue he kneeled before Him.
   c. He referred to Jesus as “Good Teacher.”
   d. He, therefore, belived that Jesus was a man who had mastered the secrets of spiritual perfect, and that Jesus was the one who could lead him to do the same.
   c. He believed that he had the money, and the desire to obtain ths spiritual perfection on his own.
2. What did he ask about inherting eternal life? He seemed to have everything anyone could ever desire, so why did he come asking this question? He knew there was somethng missing in his life. He was searching for it, and believed that Jesus knew the answer to this missing piece.
3. What answer did he truly seek?
   a. Jesus asked why he had called Him Good?
   b. Salvation is based upon who we believe Jesus is.
   c. Six of the Ten Commandments.
   d. The rich young ruler is disappointed becasue he does not truly understand.
   e. They believed that outward service was all that was required. However, our Lord looks at the heart, the motivation and the attitude of why something is done.
   f. They also believed that one day everything they had done in life would be weighed against each other, good and bad.
   h. They misunderstood the teachings of the Bible.
4. What answer did he truly receive? One thing you lack. Jesus gives this answer to him in two parts.
   a. Part 1 - go and sell everything you have, and give it all to the poor. Money, and his possessions had become the most important thing in his life. It was his god.
   b. Part 2 - he was to leave it all, and follow Jesus. He was to leave behind his titles, his position, his influence, and become a servant.

This was too much for him, and for the first time when Jesus called someone to come and follow Him, they did not.

I believe that ever since then people have been following the example of the rich young ruler. When Jesus calls, we simply walk away because we think the price is to high. Dont’ walk away today. Come and follow Jesus this morning.