Jesus Wants Nothing between You & Him
There is a powerful narrative that we see play out in the book of Mark with Jesus and someone who is often referred to as "The Rich Young Ruler." This man comes to Jesus and asks a great question, "What must I do the inherit eternal life?" Then Jesus goes over a list of a few key commandments that he needs to obey and the young man says, I've done all of those. But then comes Mark 10:21:
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.” (Mark 10:21 NIV)
I've read this story man times before and there are a lot of great messages that have been preached on it, but i felt the Holy Spirit illuminate it in a fresh way for me today. I love have it notes that Jesus looked at him and loved him. But then he says, "One thing you lack."What I want us to see is the big picture of Jesus’ desire to know him and be with him; Jesus loved him and wanted to be in real relationship with him. And while he was doing a lot of the right "things," he hadn't gone beyond rituals to relationship. Jesus pinpointed the one thing that was getting between the young man and himself.
Jesus wants Nothing between us.
At the end of the day, Jesus always wants heart over rules. He wants us, he wants closeness. It's why he's positioned himself as father, not just distant creator, but passionate creator and loving father. He wants to know you, and be known by you. Time to get honest, is there anything between you and Him? If Jesus was standing before you today, would he say you lack one thing? Would it be a career, a person, a possession that is distracting your attention?Today Jesus is calling you and me into greater relationship with him, but are you, am I, willing to give up what's between us? In this story, the young man decides to leave rather than give up this one area, but I want to encourage you that it's always worth it! There is nothing like walking with Jesus. Don't let anything come between you and Jesus today, lay it down and walk with Him.
