1. The rich man and his response
Mark 10:17–22 recounts Jesus’ famous encounter with the rich, young man who asks how to inherit eternal life. Jesus lists the commandments: ‘You must not murder anyone, you must not commit adultery, you must not steal, you must not lie, you must not cheat, you must respect your father and mother,’ which the man claims to have kept since youth. Out of love, Jesus tells him to sell his possessions, give to the poor, and follow Him. The man leaves sorrowfully, unwilling to part with his wealth.
The rich young ruler wanted salvation without surrender. He exposed his idol as wealth. Due to delayed obedience, he walked away from Jesus.
True love requires surrendering anything that takes priority over God. He shows that love is not merely following rules, but a wholehearted commitment that demands letting go of worldly attachments to sacrificially care for others.
2. The rich man Zacchaeus and his response
Luke 19:1–10 emphasizes that Jesus was going through the city of Jericho. In Jericho, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a wealthy, very important tax collector. He wanted to see who Jesus was. There were many others who wanted to see Jesus too. Zacchaeus was too short to see above the people. So, he ran to a place where he knew Jesus would come. Then he climbed a sycamore tree so he could see Him. When Jesus came to where Zacchaeus was, He looked up and saw him in the tree. Jesus said, “Zacchaeus, hurry! Come down! I must stay at your house today.” Zacchaeus hurried and came down. He was happy to have Jesus in his house. Everyone saw this. They began to complain, “Look at the kind of man Jesus is staying with. Zacchaeus is a sinner!” Zacchaeus said to the Lord, “I want to do good. I will give half of my money to the poor. If I have cheated anyone, I will pay them back four times more.” Jesus said, “Today is the day for this family to be saved from sin. Yes, even this tax collector is one of God’s chosen people. The Son of Man* came to find lost people and save them.”
Zacchaeus positions himself to encounter Jesus at any cost. Yet, he voluntarily surrenders everything and welcomes Jesus into his life.
No one is beyond redemption, and Christ’s mission is actively to seek out and save the lost.
