“Looking at him, Jesus loved him and said to him, ‘You lack one thing: Go, sell all you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’ But he was dismayed by this demand, and he went away grieving, because he had many possessions.”

Mark 10:21-22 CSB

I think this moment during the ministry of Jesus is a cautionary tale for all of us. The story of the rich young ruler is a short one, a man comes to Jesus, asking how he can follow Jesus and be a part of the heavenly kingdom. The response we see is filled with love and Jesus calls the man to give up his possessions to help others and then actively follow Jesus.

Seems simple, yet, he doesn’t do it, and he fades into obscurity of history where we don’t even know the name of this man.

We can infer that this man knew of what Jesus was doing and how he was calling others, to the point where he wanted to follow and have this new life in Christ. But we see that when Jesus called him to compassion, the man chose comfort. It was easier to keep his possessions than to give to the poor and have a life of meaning through being a part of God’s kingdom.

In reading this passage in Scripture, I was asking myself this question and it is one that I want to ask you as well, are you called to comfort of compassion?

I believe it’s important when we engage with Scripture, that we truly wrestle with what the Holy Spirit is prompting us with, because we all could very easily look at this person and go “well I of course would sell everything to follow Jesus!” But would we? Would we be willing to give up everything to follow Jesus?

Jesus doesn’t ask for this man to die for Him or to do some extreme feat to test his faith, all Jesus does is offer the man an opportunity to be compassionate to others and follow a new way to live.

Comfort is fine, compassion is great.

When I first started my journey in ministry, I was living with a guy named John Bennett. We would often talk about things in ministry that we saw as fine verses how to make things great. I still carry this mentality in ministry and life in general. If something is “fine,” it basically means that something works and doesn’t make a lot of waves, but when we try to make something “great,” it’s something that stands out and leaves an impact. Fine is the status quo, great is life changing. That’s what Jesus is calling us into when we step into His kingdom, He calls us to greatness, a life that is so much better than what we have grown comfortable with.

We don’t know the name of the man in this story, because ultimately, he chose not to give to others and step into the greatness that comes with Christ. He could have helped people by being generous and began following the footsteps of the savior, but he couldn’t let go of the treasures he built up.

Comfort is fearful, compassion is adventurous.

One of my favorite books is, “The Hobbit,” and the main character is a person who loves the comfort of their home, but is called into a great adventure that changes his life for the better. Jesus is calling us to step into adventure, to be a light to the world around us, pointing everyone to the savior who loves them so deeply that He made a way for them. Compassion is seeing the people around you as made in the image of God and in need of a savior to restore that image through relationship with Him.

Could this rich young ruler have made an impact by giving his earthly horde away to those who needed it? Would that not have cause many to see his gesture and investigate why? Had that happened, he could have pointed many to the king of kings and understood that following Jesus leads us to live a compassionate life.

Jesus invites us into a different way of living, a kingdom mindset that is about compassion over comfort. It’s not about what you can store up for yourself, but how you can live as a light to others.

To follow Jesus is to be active in our love.

So, the question then becomes, what can you do today to begin this active life of following Jesus and living compassionately? Maybe it’s helping a friend in need or supporting a missionary. Maybe it’s sending an encouraging text to that friend that comes to mind. Maybe it means evaluating what you prioritize with your time, gifts, and finances in a way that builds God’s kingdom and not our own.

This may also mean you need to evaluate how you live, do you see others as made in God’s image or a means to your own end? If your words point towards Jesus but your actions cause others to have an incorrect view of Christ, you aren’t following Jesus.

As you engage with this scripture, look at your life and begin choosing compassion over the comfort of a fleeting world. Jesus is calling, will you answer Him?

• Your pastor and friend, Joshua.

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About the Author: Joshua Thomas is a husband, father, and pastor doing what he can to love others the way Jesus did. You can find him reading a good book, sipping warm tea, taking pictures, or dreaming. He may not have it all figured out, but the journey is the best part. You can find him on the only social media he uses, Bluesky and Instagram