The story of the rich young man, as found in Mark 10:17-30, is one that is fairly well known. The youth asks the Savior how he might obtain eternal life. When told to give up his riches, he declines and leaves the Savior. Often, we focus on the negatives of the story, but today, I’d like to point out a few positive aspects that might be missed.
The first thing that struck my eye was the eagerness the youth had when it came to Jesus. If you look at verse 17, you read “there came one running.” This young man didn’t just stroll up to Christ; when he saw the Lord, he ran to Him. I began to ask myself if I had ever been so eager to serve and be taught.
The youth also told Jesus that he had kept the commandments since his youth. This was obviously not false modesty, as the Savior recognized it as true and, “beholding him loved him” (verse 21). Again we can learn from the example of the youth and strive to keep the commandments, that the Savior might one day “beholding (us) love (us)” all the more.
Having worked so much with inactive members lately, I have also found myself comparing this story to them. So many people, when they first hear the gospel, run to embrace it. Most of the converts I have met express a sincere love of the gospel and a desire to serve. And then, at some point, something hard happens. Perhaps they learn a point of the gospel that is a challenge. Perhaps their friends or family ridicule them. Perhaps they are offended. Either way, they “went away grieved” (verse 22) because of the hardness of the course.
Although we may not be inactive, are there times that we pass on the blessings of the gospel? Are there points when we, too, might ignore, ‘forget’, or neglect our duties, in the church, in the home, or even in the world? Perhaps there is a friend or coworker that we have been prompted to share the gospel with but fear and nervousness dissuade us. Perhaps there is a calling that we have declined or asked to be released from. Perhaps there is a sister we keep ‘forgetting’ to visit teach because we ‘don’t have time’ (having filled that time with other things). In these ways and others, are we behaving like the rich young ruler, running towards the Savior and yet still turning away?
Related Articles:
General Conference: “And Nothing Shall Offend”
Gospel Doctrine: Focusing on Christ
Gospel Doctrine: Wandering Through the World
For other Sunday School lessons, click on the gospel doctrine link!