The Greatest Commandment and the Call to Surrender

 

Many people approach Jesus with questions—not just for knowledge, but to test, to justify, or to seek truth. In Matthew 22:34–40, a lawyer asks Jesus a question meant to test Him:

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"

Jesus’ response is simple yet profound:

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

This answer summarizes God’s entire will for humanity—love for God and love for others.

The Rich Young Ruler and the Call to Surrender (Matthew 19:16–23):
Earlier, another man, a rich young ruler, approached Jesus with a different question:

"Teacher, what good thing must I do to have eternal life?"

Jesus first points him to the commandments, but when the young man claims to have kept them, Jesus reveals the one thing holding him back:

"Go, sell what you have, give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me."

The young man went away sorrowful, because he had great wealth.

Connecting the Two Passages:
Both the lawyer and the rich young ruler sought to test or justify themselves. However, Jesus’ response in both cases was not about rules but about the heart. The greatest commandment—loving God with all our being—requires total surrender. The rich young ruler followed rules but lacked true love for God because his heart was tied to his wealth.

Application:

1. Love for God is more than obedience; it requires surrender. We cannot serve both God and earthly attachments.
2. Loving others is an outflow of loving God. The lawyer asked about the greatest commandment, and Jesus immediately included love for others. Our faith is incomplete without love.
3. Following Jesus means sacrifice. The rich young ruler walked away because he valued his wealth more than following Christ. What are we holding onto that keeps us from fully loving and obeying God?

Jesus calls us not just to obedience but to wholehearted love. This love transforms our priorities and how we treat others. May we not be like the rich young ruler who walked away sorrowful, but like those who surrender all to follow Christ.

Amen.

More: Sabbath School Lesson 12: The Two Greatest Commandments

The Difficulty of the Rich and The Eye of a Needle: Mark 10:17-31

 

 Mark 10:17–31 recounts the story of the rich young man who approaches Jesus, asking what he must do to inherit eternal life. This passage reveals several crucial lessons about faith and the cost of discipleship.

The Importance of Surrendering Wealth

 The young man claims to have kept all the commandments from his youth, but Jesus tells him he lacks one thing he must sell all he has, give to the poor, and follow Him. The man’s sorrowful departure highlights the challenge of detaching from material wealth. This teaches that wealth can be a significant obstacle to entering the Kingdom of God, as it can create attachments that compete with total devotion to God.

The Radical Nature of Discipleship

 Jesus' demand that the young man sell everything shows that discipleship requires radical commitment. It is not merely about following rules or being morally upright but involves a complete surrender of anything that might hold one back from fully following Jesus. Discipleship demands total trust in God rather than in earthly security.

The Difficulty for the Rich

 Jesus says, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!" and compares it to a camel passing through the eye of a needle—a metaphor for the near-impossible. This doesn't mean that wealth is inherently evil, but that the love of wealth can make it difficult for the wealthy to fully rely on God.

God’s Grace Makes It Possible

 When the disciples express shock at the difficulty of the rich entering the Kingdom of God, Jesus reassures them by saying, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God." This emphasizes that salvation and the ability to follow Jesus are ultimately gifts of grace, not human achievement.

The Promise of Reward

 Jesus promises that those who sacrifice for the sake of the gospel—whether it’s homes, family, or fields—will receive a hundredfold in return in this life and in the life to come, with persecutions. This teaches that the sacrifices of discipleship, though costly, are ultimately rewarded by God in ways that surpass earthly understanding.

The Reversal of Worldly Values

 The passage concludes with the saying, "But many who are first will be last, and the last first." This suggests a reversal of worldly values in God’s Kingdom, where those who are humble, self-sacrificing, and dependent on God, rather than on wealth or status, are honored.

Mark 10:17–31 teaches that true discipleship requires a radical commitment to following Jesus, which may involve significant sacrifices, especially for those who are wealthy. It emphasizes the importance of prioritizing faith and dependence on God over material possessions, with the assurance that God’s grace makes such a commitment possible and is ultimately rewarded.

More: Lesson 8 Book of Mark