Back in Jesus’ day, if you were a faithful follower of His and you had a daughter of marrying age, you looked carefully at every young man in the crowd following Him. One such father surely began to feel his heart beat faster when he caught a glimpse of a finely dressed prospect headed toward Jesus. What caught the father’s attention most was that the young man wasn’t parading around like many his age did or arrogantly strutting toward Jesus like one of the Pharisees, but rather he, “ran up to him”. That’s when it first struck him, “Oh, what a son-in-law he would make.”
Then his excitement stirred even more when he, “fell on his knees before Jesus.” Then his hopes of a wonderful husband for the love of his life sky-rocketed when he addressed Jesus, “Good teacher, what good thing must I do to inherit eternal life?” Young men his age had countless things on their minds, but “inheriting eternal life” wasn’t usually one of them.
The father was contemplating how he would approach the young man, when Jesus threw his mind into confusion. Instead of welcoming him warmly, Jesus scolded him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.” What was Jesus thinking? Here was a prime prospect for discipling and He was pushing him away. On top of that Jesus sternly challenged him with commandments for a mature disciple, not as newly, interested Jew. “If you want to enter life, obey the commandments. … You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steel, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.’”
However, things got back on track when rather than being driven off and frightened away, the young man replied, “Teacher, all these I have kept since I was a boy. What do I still lack?” What a gem of a young man, what a husband for my daughter he will make and what a honorable son-in-law for me. He knew the Law of Moses and he lived the commandments. In the father’s eyes, he was already envisioning the joy he would have with his future grandchildren.
He wondered what Jesus was thinking? Then he could see it in Jesus’ eyes: “Jesus looked at him and loved him.” Surely Jesus would welcome him into the crowd of followers now.
That is when the castle of his dreams came crashing down. Jesus commanded the young man to do what He had never required of anyone. “One thing you lack, If you want to be perfect, Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come follow me.” Who could do that? Where would he live? How would he eat? How could he care for a family, for his daughter?
In confusion he shook his head, wondering why Jesus pushed the young man so hard. But maybe the young man would obey. After all, he had obeyed the commandments of the Law of Moses his whole life. Maybe. Then, “At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.”
Bewildered, the father wanted to ask Jesus, “Lord, why?” That is when he remembered God’s words to Samuel: “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things human beings look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Jesus had been studying his heart.
In repentance, he confessed his sin to Father God. He had been banking his hopes on the outward things of the young man: wealthy, ran to Jesus, fell down before Jesus and he lived the Law. Then he recalled what Jesus had also said, the very words from God in the flesh, standing before him: “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves a son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”
Then he knew. The young man had walked away because he loved his wealth more than Jesus. He would probably love his wealth more than my darling daughter too. He now understood that his daughter needed a man who loved Jesus even more than her and certainly more than anyone or anything else. So he found his daughter, lovingly embraced her and shared with her what he had learned that day.
Mike “Pawdad” Sublett, Pastor @ Hi-Land Christian Church, Pampa, Texas 79065, 630-730-8015
