(Luk) 18:18, 20, 22, 24 CJB “One of the leaders asked him, “Good rabbi, what should I do to obtain eternal life?” You know the mitzvot — ‘Don’t commit adultery, don’t murder, don’t steal, don’t give false testimony, honor your father and mother,…’” On hearing this Yeshua said to him, “There is one thing you still lack. Sell whatever you have, distribute the proceeds to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come, follow me!” Yeshua looked at him and said, “How hard it is for people with wealth to enter the Kingdom of God!”
What Does It Mean to Lack One Thing? That is the question Jesus forces us to consider in His encounter with the rich ruler.
The man came to Jesus asking the most important question anyone can ask:
“What should I do to obtain eternal life?”
Jesus pointed him to God’s commands. The man confidently responded that he had kept them from his youth.
Yet Jesus exposed a deeper issue.
“There is one thing you still lack.”
One thing.
Not ten things.
Not many things.
One thing.
And that one thing revealed the true condition of his heart.
What Does It Mean to Lack One Thing?
The rich ruler lacked complete surrender to Jesus.
His problem was not primarily wealth.
His problem was worship.
Jesus told him to sell his possessions, give to the poor, and follow Him.
The command was designed to reveal where the man’s trust truly resided.
His treasure was not in God.
His treasure was in what he possessed.
Jesus had already taught:
“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
The ruler wanted eternal life.
He wanted heaven.
He wanted the blessings of God’s kingdom.
But he was unwilling to surrender the thing that competed with God for first place in his life.
His wealth exposed his idol.
The Danger of Worldly Success
This is why Jesus said:
“How hard it is for people with wealth to enter the Kingdom of God!”
Money itself is not evil.
Abraham, Job, David, and others possessed great wealth while faithfully serving God.
The danger is that wealth can create an illusion of independence.
It can provide comfort that reduces our sense of need for God.
It can offer pleasures that distract us from God’s purposes.
It can become a substitute savior.
Many men spend their lives pursuing comfort, pleasure, prestige, and financial security.
In the process, they neglect the advancement of God’s kingdom.
They invest heavily in what is temporary while giving little attention to what is eternal.
Jesus is not condemning success.
He is warning against success becoming our master.
The question is not whether we possess wealth.
The question is whether wealth possesses us.
Saving Faith Produces Complete Allegiance
The rich ruler’s story reminds us that salvation is through faith alone in Christ alone.
Yet saving faith is never mere intellectual agreement.
Saving faith submits to Jesus as Lord.
It treasures Him above everything else.
It follows Him wherever He leads.
The rich ruler’s sorrow revealed that he valued his possessions more than following Christ.
Jesus was not teaching salvation by selling possessions.
He was exposing the man’s lack of wholehearted trust.
True faith says:
“Jesus, everything I have belongs to You.”
“My money belongs to You.”
“My career belongs to You.”
“My family belongs to You.”
“My future belongs to You.”
“My life belongs to You.”
That is the heart of discipleship.
Run Today’s Play
Ask yourself this question: If Jesus pointed at the thing you value most and said, “Give it up and follow Me,” would you obey?
Identify one area of your life where comfort, success, possessions, or personal ambition may be competing with Christ for first place.
Then take one practical step today to demonstrate that Jesus is your greatest treasure.
The rich ruler lacked one thing, but that one thing was everything. Eternal life is not found in partial obedience or religious performance. It is found in trusting Jesus completely, treasuring Him supremely, and following Him wholeheartedly.