Lack

Mark 10:17-22 (NIV)
¹⁷ As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
¹⁸ "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good--except God alone.
¹⁹ You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'"
²⁰ "Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy."
²¹ Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
²² At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

Jesus had just told the disciples the key to entering the kingdom; it belongs to those who come as a child, with no reservation. This man is earnest in his question; he really wants to know and to be sure on inheriting eternal life. Doubt must be present for him for him to ask the question. Despite his best effort, he senses something to be missing.

Jesus sees it immediately. He looked at him and loved him. He looks at all of us in the same way. No matter where we are or what we’ve done, His heart yearns for us, His love is bigger than we can imagine. He sees not only our imperfection, but beholds the incredible being of our potential, the beauty within us all.

The man is too attached to his possessions. Since he asked, Jesus told him. He wasn’t ready for the answer. It was too much for him. He seemed so close for Jesus said there was only one thing he lacked, he felt that he was almost there. All his careful observance of the commandments was paying off, just one more thing and he could be assured that he had made it. But the one thing lacking was too much for him to overcome. He sadly turns and walks away.

We all have or have had something in our lives that are too much for us to overcome. That is why Jesus came, isn’t it? In a few later verses, Jesus tells the disciples that all things are possible for God. Where we can’t, He can, and He did. We don’t have to turn away. He came to walk with us and show us the way. He is the one thing we all lack on our own. He came that we would lack nothing.