The Look

The Look

Mark 10:21, NLT

Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

Setting the Scene

Mark reports with a simple statement that when Jesus looked at the young man he “felt genuine love for him.” We’ve seen Jesus “looking” at people this way several times: the widow at Nain whose only son had died (Luke 7:13), the suffering woman who touched the fringe of his robe (Matthew 9:22), the crowd of five thousand–plus that had followed him (Mark 6:34), the lame man at the pool of Bethesda (John 5:6), and more. Jesus had great compassion and love for the young man kneeling before him.

We have already read facts about the man that could have put a barrier between him and Jesus. He was young and wealthy (Matthew 19:22), a combination that can cause a person to be self-assured and self-absorbed. He was also a “religious leader” (Luke 18:18), and Jesus had experienced mostly opposition from the Pharisees and other Jewish religious leaders. Yet Jesus looked past those outward appearances and saw a needy person who sincerely wanted an answer to life’s most important question. So Jesus treated the young man with respect and answered him truthfully.

Getting Personal

What example(s) can you remember of someone who heard the gospel from an unlikely source?

When have you avoided talking to someone about your faith because of a potential communication gap?

Think about someone in your circle of acquaintances you’ve assumed wouldn’t be interested in hearing about Christ. What can you do to see that person the way Jesus does?

Jesus showed genuine love for this man, even though he knew the man might not follow him. And Jesus loved the man enough to give him the hard truth about what he needed to do. As we strive to be more like Christ, we can see people the way he sees them. Too often our assumptions keep us from reaching out to others and cause us to write off people who are different from us. Jesus sees them with compassion. We can too.

Talking to God

Thank the Lord that he loves your friends and acquaintances just as much as he loves you. Ask him to fill you with his love for these people, so that you can live his love for them, in your words and in your actions.