There used to be a Food Network show called, Glutton for Punishment, where the host, Bob Blumer, traveled around the world attempting different food related challenges. He set records for the most pizzas made in an hour as well as the most pancakes. At the time, he was the best at these two activities.

Have you ever met someone who was the absolute best at a particular thing? Have you ever met a world record holder – someone who could say, “I am the best!”?

I’m not an expert in anything… I like to see myself as a “Jack of all trades, master of none.” That way, it keeps me from getting too big headed and prideful. If you didn’t notice, I’m very good at it.

But when we think about people who are exceptional at something, we often use terms like expert, artist, greatest, amazing, and magnificent or simply, “the best”. Within the realms of music, people who are seen as supremely gifted are often called virtuosos. I like that term. It sounds almost a notch about expert.

In Jesus, we meet someone who is a virtuoso. He is an amazing teacher, healer of all diseases, possessor of all wisdom in all things and put simply, the best in uncovering the roots of spiritual sickness. He serves as spiritual physician without peer, offering diagnosis, prognosis, and supplying the cure. Among the many people Jesus encountered in His ministry, Mark introduces Him to someone who, for all his virtue and high ideals, suffers from an acute ethical and moral sickness.

In Mark 10, a man comes to Jesus, falls down before him, and asks, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

We don’t know anything about this man except he is wealthy. So in our terms, he might be someone who has no mortgage, has good health, has resources for his retirement, winters in the Bahamas, and probably drives a Lamborghini.

But in the midst of the abundance he possesses he finds his life lacking so he asks Jesus, “Is this all there is?” He knows something is missing. He’s probably heard about Jesus and may have seen Him do some amazing things. Maybe he can have it for his own life? So he asks Jesus, “What must I do to gain it?” Many today ask the same thing – “Is there more to life than this?”

This would seem like a very valid question. As a committed Jew, he probably knew the Scriptures. Ecclesiastes 5:10 states, “Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless.” Solomon understood it. Maybe he saw the futility of pursing material gain? Maybe he was questioning the same thing – is there more?

But Jesus’ response seems a little strange. In fact, you might think Jesus response seems a little rude. Jesus says, “No one is good – except God alone.” I think Jesus response was because this young man’s comment was rather patronizing. He didn’t even know Jesus, yet calls Him good. People today are the same when it comes to Jesus. They see Him as a good teacher, a nice person, a good man. Yet they say this without truly knowing who He actually is.

But what we see here is a shift. The Jewish rabbis and Pharisees taught that deeds led to God’s blessing and success. This young man lived with the belief that his life can, by ethical increments, another dollar here, an additional phone call there, a square deal here, a good deed there led to eternal life. He thought he could earn it.

So Jesus confronts the young man’s compliment and assumption. He begins why going through some of the commandments, something each Law abiding Jew would know and follow. “You know the commandments (of course),” Jesus says. “Do not murder. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Do not give false testimony. Do not defraud, honour your father and mother…” All commands by God through Moses that every Jew should follow, right?

“Do not defraud!?” Did that come down with Moses from Sinai? Not really. But I believe it was included here because of the context. He was dealing with a man of great wealth. When you think about how to make quick money today, things other than hard work come to mind. We all know that vast wealth can come from embezzlement, cheating, lies, and rip-offs. Think of the recent ponzi schemes that have affected thousands and bilked millions if not billions of dollars from people. Many of the rich today are there at the expense of others. This man was probably no different.

Well, our young man informs Jesus that he keeps the commandments; his character is impeccable and unblemished, but yet he wonders, “What must I do?” He knew there was more.

I find it interesting that Mark records that “Jesus loved him.” Of course! What a find! Disciple number 13! Here was an enthusiastic, highly moral person who could be of great help in terms of leadership and perhaps in drawing others of his kind into that little band. I mean his resources could help the cause, couldn’t they?

But Jesus pulls the plug on this job interview. Because Jesus loved him and because Jesus is a spiritual physician, He dishes out the proper prescription. He tells the man not what he wants to hear but what he needs to hear. “Amid all of your success, your ethical excellence, your superb reputation, your religious practice, there is one thing you lack.”

“Go sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” When the young man hears this, he is shocked and goes away grieving, for he has many possessions.”

How could Jesus say something like this? Here he finds just the kind of person who might serve as disciple 13, and he stuns him with a radical challenge, sending the man disappointed—no, grieving, away. Unbelievable!

If such a person—man or woman—were to set foot in our churches today he or she might be courted, enticed, wined and dined to join. I’ve seen it and heard it happen in other places. They would get that person into the church first and worry about conversion later.

Now for some of us that one thing Jesus speaks about may also lurk in our hearts regarding our possessions. We cannot avoid that because the gospel doesn’t. And I suspect Jesus puts His finger on attitudes about wealth, its accumulation, meaning, and stewardship that make some of us, including your pastor, rather uneasy.

I want us to be assured that Jesus does not say rich people find it impossible to be graced with “eternal life.” He does say we may find it extremely difficult to loosen ourselves up, to free ourselves from what might be called “the tyranny of things.”

He does imply that the cost of cosmetics, vacations, and wardrobes can get in the way of choices necessary for the health and welfare of our neighbours in need. Jesus makes it clear that our contentment with substantial bank accounts, vast amounts of working capital, and shrewd investments can come at great cost to our spiritual health.

We see in the gospel none of the prosperity mythology equating financial success with providential favour. The Jews believed it. Many Christians believe it today. Even nations follow its principles. Jesus never blesses free enterprise, capitalism, the Stock Exchange, or the market economy. He never asserts that the rich deserve what they get nor defends a moral right to keep it. Nowhere does he spin a rationale for private property or the notion of prosperity equals God’s favour.

Far from it. He implies that both our private property and the philosophies behind it stand among the things that keep us from the service of the gospel. He suggests strongly that our single-minded pursuit of His Kingdom and righteousness should be the priority rather than looking at the bottom line.

Jesus says in Matthew 6:33, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.” God’s caveat for a blessed life is to give up our wills and desires for His. May He grant us the willingness to trust Him with our lives and futures as we seek to live our lives for Him.