Mark 10
Verses 18-22
So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.
Jesus responds to the man who came running to met Him and calls Jesus, good teacher. No one is good but One, that is, God. God is good and can only do that which is good.
Jesus goes on to encourage the man. “You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ”
The man responds; And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.” The man had kept these commandments since he was a young. The list Jesus gives is not a complete list of the law. Two notable ones are missing. Have no other Gods before me and thou shall not covet.
Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”
Jesus loves the man and wanted only good for the man. Jesus sees the man has a desire to do that which is right. To encourage the man to go further on his path to God and eternal life Jesus tells the man go sell everything and come follow me. A man who was excited enough to run to Jesus and beg Him to tell him what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? This man should be joyous to do what the good teacher said. He had given him the answer to what he requested. But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
The man loved his things more than Jesus who loved him beyond his understanding. The man rejected God’s love because he loved things more. He had knelt down and prayed for an answer. When the answer did not agree with what he wanted to hear he rejected the answer and rejected God.