I am not sure why this particular story of the Bible comes to mind every time I hear the word greed. It is not one of those stories that was drilled into me as a kid or one that I have heard preached a lot. But without fail, every single time that greed is mentioned, this story comes to mind.
Which one you ask? The story of the rich young man in Matthew 19:16-22 and Mark 10:17-31.
I think the reason I remember it so well is that it seems so tragic to me. And truly, it is a tragedy. Let me explain.
Jesus is making His way to Jerusalem when He is approached by a young man asking what he must do to gain eternal life. This guy is apparently very wealthy, and yet, he realizes that he is missing something of value. I imagine he is someone who was used to getting what he wanted and perhaps being able to “buy” his way in if necessary. So, he goes to Jesus and kneels before Him to ask how to obtain eternal life. Now kneeling before Jesus was a nice gesture, but probably a superficial one.
In approaching Jesus, he uses the word “good” within the context of his question and Jesus immediately points out that Father God is the only source of true goodness. Now this can be a little confusing for some people because we know that Jesus is without sin and in our minds that equates to good. But what Jesus is truly doing is what He always has done, pointing back to the Father, the source of everything. Though Jesus and the Father are one, Jesus is the manifest image of the Father. Even the Holy Spirit reflects the Father. Just like we are made righteous through Christ, Christ is made righteous through Father God. And so, this is the basis of His statement.
As the conversation proceeds, Jesus defines radical discipleship to the young man. He tells him that he must obey the commands of the Lord. Now we Westerners may wonder why Jesus quoted specific commandments contained within the ten commandments, so let me explain. The Ten Commandments given to Moses directly by God on top of Mt. Sinai are the only direct, lifelong commandments given to the Israelites (and to us). However, in Jewish culture, these ten direct commandments had become overshadowed by numerous instructions God had given the Israelites for a particular time as well as some man-made instructions by Jewish rabbis that were mixed in.
All of these instructions were given prior to Christ’s appearance on Earth. Unfortunately, many of these instructions had been passed down as commandments (and so named the Law) and so Jesus wanted to clarify that God’s original commandments were significant and the most important to follow. In Matthew, Jesus also adds “love your neighbor as yourself” to the list, which we consider as one of two statements that summarizes the original commandments.
With confidence the rich young man expresses that he has followed these specific commandments since he could remember. No doubt, he was feeling pretty good about himself at this point. Then the Bible states:
Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” At this the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. Mark 10:21-22 NLT
And there it is – the tragedy in this story.
Mark lets us know that Jesus was well aware of the state of this man’s heart. Jesus could see how entangled in the world he was. Jesus knew that materialism had taken over the throne of his heart. Jesus saw the stain of greed within his soul. Eternal life was just another shiny object this young man hoped to add to his collection of things. Instead of sincerely seeking the Kingdom of God, this young man was attempting to satisfy his “fear of missing out.”
His redemption stood before him and yet he could not discern it. Something worth more than all the gold and silver he possessed was being offered to him and he turned away. Tragic does not even begin to describe it.
Notice in Mark’s version of the story that “Jesus felt genuine love for him.” The Amplified translation states “love (high regard, compassion) for him.” I am so appreciative that Mark adds this little insight. We are so blessed that even when we come to Jesus with less than our best intentions, He has compassion on us in our humanity. (Can I get an Amen?)
Once the rich young man walks away, we find Jesus explaining to the disciples how greed will keep many a rich person out of heaven. This astonishes them because they thought, like we so often can, that the man’s status equated his “goodness.” Now let me be clear, all rich people are not bad, and all good people are not poor. Greed is a heart issue and left unchecked can lead one far, far from God.
My favorite part of How the Grinch Stole Christmas! is when the town folks of Whoville stand around in a circle in the center of town and sing out on Christmas despite the Grinch’s theft. As he observes this mystery, his heart is taken over by their Christmas spirit and the narrator tells us:
“And what happened, then? Well, in Whoville they say – that the Grinch’s small heart grew three sizes that day. And then – the true meaning of Christmas came through, and the Grinch found the strength of ten Grinches, plus two!” –How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
Oh, how I pray that we let Christ take over our hearts this season. 2020 has given us plenty of reasons to turn inward and display greed and selfishness. We have struggled through a year that has left us feeling out of sorts, isolated, and frustrated. Indeed, it feels like we are standing at a crossroads. But through it all, may the Spirit of the Holy One take over our hearts and grow them in His love. May we express generosity like never before and trust Him for the outcome.
Father God, we ask You for Your compassion on us. We ask You to come in and mend our wounded and tired hearts. Let no root of greed take hold. In this season, when You lavish us with Your love, may we honor Your commandments to love you with all our hearts, souls, and minds, and that we love our neighbors as ourselves. Amen.
Blessings to you and yours!
Elaine Lankford
Elaine Lankford is a faith-based life and leadership coach. She is the founder and executive director of Transforming Love Ministries LLC, a nondenominational, parachurch ministry focused on empowering everyday women to chase God-sized dreams, and She Steps Forward, a faith-based non-profit that works within the United States and Africa to equip everyday women to fulfill their God-given destinies. She is passionate about assisting other faith-based entrepreneurs to follow through on their God-sized dreams. Her coaching packages include uniquely designed roadmaps complete with practical action steps that help guide each entrepreneur through the process of making their calling come to life. Her mission is to raise up a generation of diverse women who are excited to both lead and mentor other women to reach their full potential in Christ.
Elaine is also an author and international speaker. She self-published her first book, Love Echoed Back, in August 2014. Prior to launching her ministry and non-profit, Elaine was in the nursing profession for over sixteen years. In the local church community, Elaine has served as a women’s small group leader and an intercessional prayer partner. She has considerable experience in organizing and leading missions teams out of country. Elaine is currently working on a Master of Arts in Theology Degree at Jakes Divinity School. She is a Virginia native, wife to Darrell, and mother to Nicholas.
All scripture taken from:
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.