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.”

Mark 10:21

Jesus sees the things that hold us back. Before reading this devo, I’d encourage you to read Mark 10:17-22 to gain the entire context. This story starts with hope – a man runs to Jesus and kneels before Him! He seems eager and hungry to learn. By all signs, he looks ready to follow Jesus anywhere. Yet minutes later, he walks away, sad. What happened? Jesus looked past the man's good behavior and found the one thing keeping him from following – his money. Like a doctor finding what's wrong, Jesus spotted the barrier blocking this man's growth. The man was willing to do anything for eternal life until "anything" touched his money. Jesus still looks at each of us with the same loving eyes, seeing precisely what holds us back.

Some barriers we can see, but the strongest ones are often hidden. The rich man's problem was his wealth – something others could see. But what made his money a barrier wasn't just having it but loving it too much. The chains in his heart were stronger than any gold chains around his neck. Our barriers to following Jesus often hide below the surface – fears, comforts, habits, or relationships we don't want to give up. Like the rich man, our deepest barriers aren't the things we have but those that have us.

Jesus doesn't give everyone the same command but Asks for the same surrender. Jesus didn't tell everyone to sell everything they owned. He tailored His challenge to this specific man's biggest barrier. For someone else, Jesus might say, "forgive that person who hurt you" or "stop trying so hard to be popular." Jesus knows what each of us struggles with the most. What God may ask me to give would be different for you. Jesus doesn't use the same approach for everyone, but He does ask the same basic thing – whatever stands between us and following Him needs to go.

Saying "yes" to Jesus at first isn't the same as following Him fully. This man had kept religious rules his whole life. He probably thought he was a good believer in God. But Jesus showed the difference between following rules and genuinely following Him. The invitation to "come, follow me" asked for more than just adding Jesus to his already-busy life – it meant making Jesus the center of everything. Being the center means He has complete reign over everything in our lives. Following Jesus meant changing how I lived my life and not just how I behaved in church. Following Jesus means adjusting my lifestyle to His ways, not the world's. Many of us accept Jesus as our Savior while keeping parts of our lives off-limits to Him. That’s not how it works.

What we refuse to give up often shows what we truly worship. The rich man's response reveals what was in his heart. Despite his religious efforts, his wealth was his true god – the thing he trusted most for security and happiness. This isn't just about money problems. We all have potential idols. For some, it's relationships – we won't follow Jesus if it means some people might not like us anymore. For others, it's comfort, control, or reputation. Sometimes, our idols are good things. But anything that occupies the spot God deserves in an idol. Our biggest barriers reveal what we actually worship.

Jesus points out our barriers because He loves us, not to punish us. Consider the critical detail in verse 21: "Jesus, looking at him, loved him" before giving the challenging words. Jesus didn't expose the man's idol to shame him but to free him. Like a doctor who causes a little pain to heal a dangerous illness, Jesus' tough words come from love, not meanness. When the Bible or Christian friends challenge us about something, we often get defensive, missing the love behind their concern. Being rebuked in love is, actually, love.

The most dangerous barriers often look like good things. Wealth itself isn't bad – it can do wonderful things for God's kingdom. This made it a tough barrier for the rich man to see. Our biggest obstacles to following Jesus aren't usually obviously sinful things but good things that take God's place. A student's desire to get good grades honors God until it leads to cheating or neglecting the church. Playing sports can be healthy until practice becomes more important than family or faith. Focusing on work is good but making it the reason to be “too busy” for church, quiet time, or fellowship with fellow believers makes an intended blessing a curse.

Jesus invites us to trade lesser treasures for greater ones. Jesus didn't just tell the man what to give up – He promised something better: "You will have treasure in heaven." This wasn't just about sacrifice but about upgrade – from temporary to eternal, from things that can be stolen to things that last forever. Jesus never asks us to give up something without offering much better. The barriers we hang onto often give us only a little happiness compared to the joy we'd find in fully following Jesus.

The most common barrier to following Jesus is fear of what it will cost. The rich man left sad because he thought the price was too high. He could see what he might lose but couldn't yet see how valuable Jesus' offer was. This fear of loss – whether of friends, comfort, control, or dreams – keeps many people from fully following Jesus. How about you? The barrier of fear only falls when we genuinely believe Jesus offers more than what we're afraid to give up. What seems to be the one (or few) things you’re holding on to that you can’t seem to let go?

Godseekers, Jesus still wants to help us break down our barriers. Unlike the rich man's story, ours doesn't have to end with walking away sad. While this man chose his possessions over Jesus' invitation, we face the same choice with our daily barriers. The good news is that Jesus doesn't just point out our obstacles – He helps us overcome them. The barriers before us may look too big to overcome. But they're not bigger than the God who stands ready to break them down if we're willing.

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for loving me enough to show me what stands between us. I often want to follow You completely while holding onto things that keep me back. Please give me the courage to be honest about my barriers. Help me see the things I'm hanging onto and trust that what You offer is much better. When I'm scared of what following You might cost, remind me that nothing is worth keeping if it keeps me from You. Please give me the strength to let go of what I can't surrender on my own.
In Jesus' name, Amen.

Personal Reflection

• What one thing would be hardest for you to give up if Jesus asked you to today? Why does this thing have such a strong hold on your heart?
• How would your life be different if this barrier was removed and you could follow Jesus more fully?

Step of Faith

Today, I will identify one specific barrier keeping me from following Jesus more fully, and I will take one small step toward giving it up to God.