The Daughters Of The Horseleach

Mark 10:17 -- ". . . Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"

-When Jesus answered this question he resorted to the Law. He proved two things by going to the Law.

• (1) The Law was a revelation of the holiness of God (by showing men what God desired).

• (2) The Law defined the requirements of holiness (by showing men how God wanted men to walk).

-This young man had fulfilled the requirements of the Law and still felt that there was a missing element in his life. He could declare with a confidence that his life was well pleasing in the sight of God.

-Service to God involves more than just fulfilling the externals of life. It is more than just being able to say that the Law has been upheld. There are some requirements of God that come when one least expects them. Such was the case with the rich young ruler.

C. The Second Great Question

-The second question was related to the internal issues. Those things inside the soul. There are many who walk through life with things seemingly "under their thumb" while the inside is a rolling, boiling cauldron of emotions.

-The outside can display some great feats but the inside can be as weak as water and yet no one is aware who watch from the outside.

-The young man’s second great question, taken from Matthew’s account, illustrates this:

Matthew 19:20 -- ". . . what lack I yet?"

-That question is deeply imbedded within every man. But it is a question that usually is not asked for fear of embarassment, for fear that image will be tarnished, for fear that others might misconstrue the intent and purpose of the question.

• How many times has it been uttered through prayers of desperation?

• How many times have I approached God, with tears flowing, trying to grasp and grapple with a strong will?

• What is the thing that is missing that keeps me from gaining the spiritual greatness that I desire?

• What lack I yet, God???

-The answer comes to light when we look to the life of this young man. Illuminated by the Word of God, the answer is a matter of the heart. The element of desire.

ll. DISCIPLINE VERSUS DESIRE

-This young man was so highly disciplined and so highly motivated that he had fared well throughout his young life. The future held bright things for this young man.

-To some men, disciplines chafes and irritates. They work to shrug off the bindings created by discipline. They are prone to resist the boundaries that discipline brings to their lives. To some men, discipline structures and shapes their lives. They seem to relish the engagments of discipline. Discipline can work with the smallest of talents, the minute gifts, and turn them into something that the world stands in awe.

-The account of the rich young ruler is sandwiched by two great events in the life of Christ. Preceding the story, one will find a blind Bartimaeus, a man who received what he wanted from God because he was persistent. Following the rich young ruler, is the cursing of the fig tree. Perhaps each is a mirror for the rich young ruler.

-The fig tree illustrates to us a life that is full of discipline, externally all of the leavesproved to be doing exactly what was required but there was no fruit. The healing of Bartimaeus proves to us the importance of desire.