This way to eternal life.........

Go. Sell. Give. Come. Follow.

These are the five commands that Jesus gives to the earnest young man who seeks eternal life.

Go.  Jesus wasn't sending him away to get rid of him.  He was sending him out to do the preliminary work that was absolutely necessary.  We have to bring some things to an end before we can begin our new beginnings.

Sell.  Now here is an interesting point.  Jesus doesn't tell him to simply give it all away.  He tells him to sell it.  Reasonable transactions that bring in cash and would enable this young man to be flexible as he takes the next step.

But it is not just sell some, it is "Sell all that you have".  Not just your extra.  Not just the out of style stuff or broken stuff or ugly stuff.  All that you have.  It is here that this conversion begins to slow down.

Give.  Give it away to those who need it.  Oh dear.  Deposit it into a CD for future needs is not mentioned.  Neither is giving it to your relatives so they benefit from your wealth.  No, Jesus says to give it to the poor.  The ones who need it.

Come.  Now you are ready.  Come back to me, the one who offers you eternal life, the one who is eternal life.  Come back to me and get ready to truly live.

Follow.  I will teach you the way.  I will show you the path.  You will have me close to you and without all those possessions you will be able to move quickly.  You are interested in eternal life?  Well, follow me and I'll show you the way.

I'm not exactly sure where this story ground to a halt.  It isn't clear at what point the young man seeking eternal life decided the price was too high, that whatever eternal life offered it wasn't as attractive as the stuff he had stored at home.  At what point did this young man decide that Jesus lacked authority or power or wisdom?  At what point did this young man stop listening?

It's not clear.  But in the end, he turned away sorrowfully, because he was very wealthy.  Or just possibly, he was the poorest man on earth.  Mark 10.17ff