Mark 10:17-27

Jesus, as I sit with this Gospel passage, I see the young man running to You. There is something so sincere in his heart—he wants to know what he must do to inherit eternal life. He has kept the commandments, he has been faithful, and yet, there is a restlessness in him. He senses that there is something more. And then, You look at him with love. What a moment that must have been—to be seen by You, to be loved by You, to hear You say, “You lack one thing.” 

I wonder what that must have felt like. He was not lacking in goodness. He was not lacking in obedience. But he was lacking in freedom. His heart was tied to his possessions, and when You invited him to let go and follow You, he walked away sad. He wanted You, but he also wanted to hold on to everything else. 

Jesus, I hear You whispering this same invitation to me: “Leave all to gain all.” It is not a command of loss but a call to something greater. You are not asking me to give up things because You want me to be empty. You are asking me to let go because You want me to be free. You want my hands to be open so that I can receive the fullness of life You have for me. 

It is easy to think of this passage as being only about wealth, but I see now that it is about anything that keeps my heart from following You completely. Maybe it is my fear of the future, my desire for control, my attachment to comfort, my reluctance to trust You fully. Whatever it is, You are looking at me with love, just as You looked at that young man, and You are saying, “Come, follow me.” 

Jesus, I want to be like You. You had nothing, yet You had everything. You lived with open hands, giving, loving, trusting the Father in all things. You were never weighed down by possessions, by worries, or by fear. You were completely free because Your heart belonged entirely to the Father. That is the kind of life I desire—a life where nothing holds me back from You. 

This is not a call to emptiness but to fullness. When I leave behind what binds me, I do not walk into nothingness—I walk into Your arms. I gain a heart that is light, a soul that is at peace, and a life that overflows with Your presence. This is not about loss; this is about gaining the only treasure that lasts—You. 

Jesus, teach me how to leave all to gain all. Let me not walk away sad. Let me walk toward You, free and full of joy, knowing that in You, I already have everything.