In this text Mark does an excellent job of acquainting us with the dangers of wealth concerning God’s Kingdom even though there are several instances concerning wealth throughout the bible (e.g. Deuteronomy 8:18, Psalm 49:6, Proverbs 13:11, 1 Corinthians 10:24). However, if you explore deeper you’ll discover that wealth is representative of any vice that prevents us from a closer walk with God. Carpenter & McCown (1992) asserted “To enter the kingdom one must die to self-autonomy and self-security…” (p. 865). Wealth in and of itself is not inherently dangerous but rather the strain that it put on our relationship with God. Leaders must constantly remind followers that there is something greater than ourselves.

The Quest for life

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? -Mark 10:17

This man’s enthusiasm was readily apparent by his running. He had everything but eternal life but did not know how to obtain it. And his desire to enter into the kingdom of God was manifested in his inquiry for eternal life. “What shall I do…” He asked as if it was something that is earned through a deed that must be accomplished. As if to say ‘tell me what you did to obtain eternal life so that I can do it to.’ Eternal life equates to entering the kingdom of God. “…how hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God.” (Mark 10:23).

It’s also clear that the man respected Jesus which is evident by his kneeling. But his use of the adjective ‘Good’ when addressing Jesus as ‘Good Master’ also sheds light on this man’s understanding of God’s kingdom. In other cases in the bible only God is referred to as being good (i. e. Psalm 38:8, Psalm 73:1). Master was a term applied to men of high standing such as a priest, scholar, or teacher. ‘Master’ alone would have been sufficient enough for this man to demonstrate the his surrender to the wisdom of Jesus. This man viewed Jesus as legendary and someone who achieved this status on his own. But this descriptive word ‘Good’ implied that it was possible for the man, who considered himself a ‘good man’, to be like Jesus or in essence like God.

And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God. -Mark 10:18

In this verse, Jesus corrects the man without rebuking him and reminds him that only God is good. Jesus was not denying his own divinity but rather reminding the man that he must not appeal to the humaness in Him but rather to God. Funk & Hoover (1993) suggested that this was Jesus’s attempt to “…refocus attention on God, rather than on himself, as generally in line with Jesus’ disposition.” (p. 91). Jesus may have been merely rejecting a compliment to prevent envy or maybe he wanted the man to understand that only God is good and this is not something that he could achieve. He was forcing the man to recognize that his only hope was in reliance on God alone and that eternal life was a gift from God.

Every manager has had a new protégé that was eager and motivated to learn all that she could so that she could in turn contribute to the organization. Her motivation may be to win a promotion or the opportunity to breathe life into an organization. “As a mentor, if you help mentees create a satisfying new vision for their life or work, mentees will do most of what is necessary to bring the vision to reality.” (Shea, 2002, p. 44). Many people can visualize the goal to be obtained which in turn becomes their driving factor. However, many people get stuck in a rut or are unable to visualize the goal. These emotions are often combined with thoughts or feelings such as disappointment, embarrassment, or dissatisfaction. Shea (2002) argued “The capacity to detect the emotions and feelings of others and to respond appropriately is a critical art of mentoring.” Overlooking the feelings that motivate people can limit a mentor’s effectiveness because feelings inspire people to get things done. Jesus recognized the man’s passion for eternal life and therefore chose to handle the situation with caring.

Not Just Hearers of the Law

Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultry, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. 20And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I obsewrved from my youth. -Mark 10:19-20

Here, Jesus mentions all six commandments that prohibit wrong doing against another person (i.e. Exodus 20:12-16). The prohibition of fraud is representative of the tenth commandment against covetousness. To covet is to desire something with evil motivation. To defraud is to cheat, deceive, or beguile someone which is ignited by evil motivation. To break God’s commandments inwardly is equivalent to breaking them outwardly. Jesus was merely testing the man with the recital of the commandments. Funk and Hoover (1993) indicated that every Judean or Christian should know these commandments and that Jesus’ rehearsal of them was “scarcely a distinctive statement.” (p. 91). Being wealthy, one would expect that it would be easy for this man to follow the commandments known to everyone. The difficulty for this man was understanding that the kingdom of God is a gift that must be received after all obstacles have been removed.

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. -Mark 10:21

In recognizing the man’s enthusiasm, as any good mentor would do, Jesus did not shame the man by exposing is failure to grasp the spirtual depth of the kingdom of God. The man’s problem was his wealth which prevented him from his spiritual walk with God. There is no indication that the command to sell all of his possesions was meant for all Christians but rahter it was the obstacle that prevented this particular man from trusting Jesus. This man needed to remove this vice from his life but the treasure of salvation is not something that can be earned by simply giving up your material goods but is also received by following Jesus; “…take up the cross, and follow me.” Carpenter and McCown (1993) maintained that the man’s “…great wealth is developed as a symbol of the problem of faith.” (p. 865). The man’s riches was his vice and he needed to remove it before he could enter the kingdom of God.

Leaders guide protégés in shifting their context to envision worthy goals and move toward their fulfillment. “When a leader sees a circumstance in a larger, more meaningful context and is willing to explain it, that leader is in fact creating the context, calling everyone’s attention to the idea that the context is greater than what first appears.” (Pearce, 2003, p. 94). When followers have an understanding of what the organizational context is and are able to put it into perspective, change is inevitable. When others haven’t considered the context that the leadership has considered; they must be properly informed so that they can make sense of it. Vices & Wealth: Accumulation of Non-necessities

And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possesions. -Mark 10:22

The tragic decision to turn away reflected this man’s greater love for his wealth than his desire for eternal life. Wealth refers whatever spiritual problem or vice Christians happen to be facing. Vice is the opposite of virtue. In this sense, the word vice comes from the Latin word vitium, meaning failing or defect. One way of organising the vices is as the corruption of the virtues. A virtue can be corrupted by nonuse, misuse, or overuse. Thus the cardinal vices would be lust (nonuse of temperance), cowardice (nonuse of courage), folly (misuse of a virtue, opposite of wisdom), and venality (nonuse of justice).

For people to listen to others without filters of fear or suspicion, trust is the fundamental requisite. If leaders want followers to take up the organizational banner and follow them, then they must build trust and commitment. “Followers will give their hearts and souls to authority figures who say, ‘You really matter,’ no matter how small the followers’ contributions may be.” (Goffee and Jones, 2001, p. 171). The man had excellent credentials and moral character and he was expecting Jesus to compliment him for his diligence and hard work. The key for today’s leaders is to offer constructive criticism in the form of positive feedback as evident in Jesus’ comment in Mark 10:21, “…One thing thou lackest”, or in other words the only thing you lack. “…followership implies commitment, but never without conditions. The follower wants the leader to create feelings of significance, community, and excitement.” When leaders herald the significance of an individual’s work, they are rewarded with loyalty, even obedience. And after all that Jesus had said to encourage and engage this enthusiastic man, he still refused to let go of that which constrained him.

A Kingdom At Hand

Mark’s Gospel describe Jesus as proclaiming the Kingdom as something that was at hand, and about to break out at present, and not merely a future reality (see Mark 1:15). This might provide another reason why the man was running in Mark 10:17. He knew that the kingdom was at hand and wanted to reserve his seat. Mark clearly illustrates the care Jesus takes in addressing this man. It’s obvious that the man is sincere in his quest for eternal life.

Finally, all that we do as leaders must be done out of love for the whole person. It is who we are and our interactions with others that will resonate throughout the organization. Jesus’ response to this man was prompted by Love “Then Jesus beholding him [the rich young man] loved him” (Mark 10:21). “Mark is the only one who tells us this, as though to show that without ‘love’ service is barren.” (Pink, 1921, p. 34).

References

Carpenter, Eugene and McCown, Wayne (1992). Asbury Bible Commentary. Grand Rapids, Michgan. The Zondervan Corporation.

Funk, Robert W. and Hoover, Roy W. (1993). The Five Gospels. The Search for the Authentic Words of Jesus. New York, NY. Polebridge Press.

Holy Bible (1985). King James Version Study Bible. Grand Rapids, Michgan. The Zondervan Corporation.

Pearce, Terry. (2003). Leading Out Loud : Inspiring Change Through Authentic Communication. San Francisco John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Pink, Arthur W. (1921). Why Four Gospels. Grand Rapids, Mich. Christian Classics Ethereal Library.

Shea, Gordon F. (2002). Mentoring: How to Develop Successful Mentor Behaviors. Menlo Park, California. Course PTR.

Goffee, Robert and Jones, Gareth. (2001) Followership: It’s Personal, Too. Boston, Mass. Harvard Business Review On Breakthrough Leadership: Harvard Business School Press.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lieutenant Kenneth Rice is an Active Duty Naval Officer stationed in Norfolk VA. Lieutenant Rice is a graduate of Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia where he received a Masters of Science in Educational Leadership and an Education & Training Management Subspecialty. He is currently enrolled in the Naval War College completing the Joint Professional Military Education Phase I and at Regent University working towards a Doctorate in Strategic Leadership.

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