JESUS LOVED HIM

The Evangelist Mark recorded in his gospel the episode in which a man approached Jesus and asked him the following question: "Good teacher, he asked, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" (Mark 10:17-31). This narrative, although brief, is rich in theological terms. It contains developments related to the human condition (Theological Anthropology), the divine nature (Theology) and aspects related to the salvation of man (Soteriology). But it is noteworthy in the text that, before giving his definitive answer to the question raised, "Jesus looked at him and loved him" (10:21). 

Jesus loved him because he stood before a man, merely religious. The Lord said, "You know the commandments: 'you shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery...". Then the man declared, "all these I have kept since I was boy". That man's inquiry reveals that trying to keep the divine commandments does not bring the certainty of salvation, even because no one can keep the whole Law. If you fall under any commandments, you become guilty. That man, even though he was religious, didn't feel safe. He didn't know his fate after his death. 

Religion does not save the sinner. Religion is a human production fruit of god's separate consciousness. It only expresses the creature's desire and longing to be reunited with the Creator. About seeking the salvation of the soul by complying with the Law, Paul said that the Jews were zealous to God, "but they ignored the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to the righteousness that comes from God. For the end of the Law is Christ, for the justification of all who believe" (Romans 10:1-4). That is, only in Christ man fulfills the Law of God, for He was the only man who fully fulfilled it. The religious of Christ's time, however, killed him. They trusted their religious system more than God Himself. 

Jesus loved him because he stood before someone who thinks he can control all things. It was the desire for autonomy, the desire to be in control of his own existence that led man to the Fall, to the separation from God. He asks, "... what must I do to inherit eternal life?" He wanted to do something to achieve salvation. By accomplishing something, he finds himself in control of this issue. It is as if salvation is not only dependent on God, but on man as well. 

The human being, because of original sin, is already born separated from God, that is, spiritually dead. And dead does not react, has no reaction to spiritual reality. So Paul said, writing to the Ephesians, "as for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the way of this world... But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved" (Ephesians 2:1-5). 

This means that salvation is a gift from God, it is a divine gift to man who, by his own efforts, is unable to achieve it. God said to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion" (Exodus 33:19; Romans 9:15). Human salvation is something that depends exclusively on God and there is nothing we can do to achieve it, for even "...all our righteous acts are like filthy rags... (Isaiah 64:6). For this reason Paul writes, "for it is by grace you have been saved, through Faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8,9). 

Jesus loved him because he stood before a man who possibly would not attain salvation. He was a religious, but he was tied to the shackles of idolatry. Jesus said to him, "one thing you lack... Go sell everything you have and give to the poor...". The text says that "he went away sad, because he had great wealth". There is no problem with riches, but if we place our trust in them, they become an idol and take God's place in our lives. It is necessary to let go of the constraints of the world in order to be able to walk toward God. These bonds can be many things: social status, goods, fame, power, dead religiosity, pride, arrogance, vile sins... About it Peter said, "we have left everything to follow you!" 

Finally, in the narrative, Jesus speaks of the difficulty of man achieving the salvation of his soul. He said, "how hard it is is for the rich to enter the kingdow of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God (Lucke 18:24,25). The disciples were perplexed, and asked each other: in this case who can be saved?" Their perplexity lay in the fact that, at that time, riches were symbols of divine benevolence and guarantees of heavenly rewards[1]. It was a misconception, for Jesus was born and lived among the poor. But returning to the question "who can be saved?", Jesus replied, "for man it is impossible, but for God not...". For man it is impossible to reach the Kingdom of God unless he receives divine help. Here it is worth remembering what Jesus spoke to one of the evildoers who was being crucified with Him: "Truly I tell you, today, you will be with me in paradise (Luke 23:43).

[1] Sociedade Bíblica do Brasil. Bíblia da Mulher. Barueri-SP, 2014, p.1350

Antônio Maia – M.Div.

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