Mark 10:17
Have
you ever buttered someone up before asking them a question for which you wanted
a favorable answer? You put the big smile on your face and engage in small
pleasantries before asking for that favor. Or maybe you just compliment them on
something they are wearing, or on their work or support in the past. You
purposely try to get them in a good mood, lift their spirits, before you ask.
There
isn’t anything necessarily wrong with this, except there is an element of
manipulation in the actions. You can tell you are manipulating if these
gestures only happen when you are trying to get something out of the other
person. I think it is this personality shift that signals you are manipulating.
I
wonder if the man in our text was buttering Jesus up. He does run up to him,
showing the urgency of his request, perhaps even some eagerness to get an
answer. He then falls on his knees, a sign of submission. He is the lesser
person kneeling before the greater, Jesus. Surely this would indicate at least
he know to get his outward in line with his question. His outward actions certainly
seem to show that he wants to know the answer to his question.
If
you were watching this man’s actions from a distance, it would seem as if he
was getting it right. He didn’t come demanding an answer. He was, after all, a member
of the wealthy class. He had certain standing in the community. People often
provided him with what he needed. He could well afford to buy the best and
demand the best service. If he didn’t like the way he was treated, he could
take his business elsewhere. There were other people who would gladly take his
money.
And
then he opens his mouth. On the surface these words don’t seem so bad. If they
were asked to any ordinary teacher, they would be perfectly acceptable. Perhaps
this man had asked this same question of all the influential teachers of his
day. Maybe Jesus is just the next in the line of teachers. We don’t know. He
does come to Jesus.
It
is interesting to see how he frames the question. He wants to know the ‘do’ of
eternal life’s prerequisites. He has been taught all his life that if you do
certain things, you are a shoe in for heaven. Just complete the right list of
do’s and don’t’s and you get in. Is he looking for Jesus’ list?
Were
his actions rehearsed like the now famous rant, “What difference does it make?”
Is he willing to take responsibility for his actions in the past, or will he
just point fingers at others? Is his request genuine, or just another attempt
at earning what can’t be earned?