Jesus Looked on Him... and Loved Him

You know the passage where Christ meets the "rich young ruler"? What we remember is that Christ tells him to give up everything that he had. What we forget is that at first, when the rich young ruler asked how to get into heaven, Christ didn't even mention money or lifestyle. He just told him to follow the commandments - and only after the man said that he already followed all the commandments did Christ add one final, purifying command.

Was the young man hypocritical? Was he lying when he said he followed all the commandments?

I don't think so, because right after the man claims this massive accomplishment, it says that "Jesus looked on him and loved him." Jesus wasn't dissatisfied with the man's claim that he had obeyed all the commandments since he was a boy. He looked at him - and loved him.

Are we skipping a step? We want to serve God in massive ways that involve us giving up everything we have and following Him, but we are only listening to the final words of Christ to the rich man. We have never heard the beginning of the conversation. 

I think that before I start talking about giving up all my money and moving to Africa, I need to listen to Christ about the every day things.

"You shall not murder ('and whoever is angry at a brother or sister is guilty of murder'), you shall not commit adultery ('and whoever looks at a woman lustfully with his eyes is guilty of adultery'), you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your mother and father."

And may I one day be able to say, "Teacher - all these I have kept since I was a child." And hear Christ say, finally - "One thing you lack - give all you have to the poor and follow Me."