Minister’s Corner: Will you heed the call?

In the Gospel of Mark 10:17-22, we are introduced to a young man who sought out Christ with a very important question. He asked, “What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” Now we need to understand this young man was a decent, upright, moral young man, for he told Christ that he had kept the commandments since he was a boy. But, he had a problem; he was very wealthy. But with everything that this young man had going for him, he was not satisfied. You know, that is the way it is in this world. It promises so much, but in the final analysis, the things it provids are all wood, stubble and hay. They don’t last and they don’t completely satisfy.
Jesus heard this young man’s cry. He was sympathetic to his need. What that young man needed was Christ. So, Christ issued the call for the young man to pick up his cross and follow Him. The problem with this command was that the young man had a desire to make Heaven his home, but a strong attachment to his wealth and privileged way of living. As a result, we see the young man going his way “grieved.”
Today, we have so many people around us who hear the Gospel messages and are challenged to repent of their sins and follow Christ. But, many leave just like they came, lost and still on their way to hell. The Savior is gracious to issue the call, but the responsibility to answer that call still rests with the sinner. How about you, will you heed the call?