Mark 10:17-22
And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.

The young man was presented with a choice. The two options were there before him, and all he had to do was decide which one he wanted. One path led to Jesus. This path meant dying to self and focusing completely on God and His work and His plan. This path was the selfless path and one where his possessions would no longer have such a hold on him. This path, though not easy, was surely the most rewarding in the end, for that eternal life he sought would be his sure reward.

The other path was the road back into the world, back to his stuff and his riches and a focus only on himself and the here and now. It was a path that seemed full of rewards and good things. After all, he thought he had everything he could ever want. But the end result was death, and then what would it ever matter how much gold he had or how many fields and barns and cattle? The ultimate result of that was separation from God, and how much was that worth to him?

We all face a similar choice. We may not have the riches that this man had, but in our sinful nature, we all experience the pull toward the things of this life and the things of this world that don’t ever matter in eternity. And Jesus stands there at the crossroads with an open invitation, offering the gift of life out of His love and mercy. He doesn’t hide the fact that His road won’t be the easy one. He doesn’t guarantee that no trouble will come our way if we choose to follow Him. In fact, following Him involves sacrifice, taking up a cross, considering something beyond just ourselves. But it is truly the only path that leads to eternal life, and Jesus Himself goes before us and goes beside us whatever may come our way.

Which path will you choose to follow? Will you willingly take up your cross and follow Jesus? Will you leave behind the life you wanted to build for yourself in exchange for the life that He will build in you?