Eternal Life: The Undone Thing

“Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

Matthew 19:16

The rich young man asked Jesus the right question. What good thing must he do to get eternal life? Jesus replied, “…‘If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.’

‘Which ones?’ the man inquired” (Matthew 19:17-18).

Jesus listed them off.

“‘All these I have kept,’” the young man said. “ What do I still lack?’” (v. 20).

He sensed it. He knew intuitively that even though he kept the commandments there was still something left undone, something which was keeping him from eternal life. Why else would he inquire further?

Jesus then told him if he wanted to be perfect—to be complete—to sell his possessions, give to the poor, and follow Him. Jesus knew the undone thing which separated the man from devotion to Himself. He knows the undone thing which separates everyone from devotion to Himself.

The Terms of Life

With Jesus, the terms of eternal life are a total surrender of our lives to Him. Jesus always holds to one central idea in salvation: “‘Follow me’” (v. 21). But He also knows the hidden ambition in each of us, the area which has become our stumbling stone. For the rich man, it may be his riches; for the poor man, his poverty.

Jesus doesn’t offer eternal life in exchange for selling your possessions. Jesus offers eternal life in exchange for following Himself. The rich young man was not following Jesus. Jesus knew why—his possessions stood in the way. His attitude toward his possessions formed an invisible barrier which blocked him from following Christ. His curse was not the visible barrier of his possessions, but the invisible barrier of his attitude toward them. It represented the undone thing between him and a full surrender to Jesus. Is there an undone thing blocking you?

Selling Everything Gets You Nowhere

In this story we always focus on selling the possessions as the positive thing done. Here’s the key point: Selling the possessions is not the positive thing done. Instead, for this man, selling them was only the removal of the negative thing which blocked a full surrender to Jesus.

The surrender to Christ is the positive thing done. For the rich young man, selling his possessions was his undone thing. Christ wasn’t focused on what a good thing it would be for him to sell his possessions, but on what thing was left undone. Have you left anything undone? Do the undone thing. “‘Then come, follow me’” (v. 21).

We think we must do a good work before we can follow Jesus. Not so. The selling of possessions did not represent adding a good work that led to salvation, but removing an obstacle which blocked faith. “‘What good thing must I do to get eternal life?’”—“‘follow me.’”

Jesus placed no stock in the selling of possessions. It’s only value was that it would remove the obstacle which kept the young man from the faith to follow Him. If a thing keeps you from the “follow me,” then get rid of it. But Jesus never asked for a good work to get eternal life.

Faith saves, not works. The sale of his possessions alone would not have been enough to save him. Jesus said, “Then come, follow me.” It is the “follow me,” that saves. If a person can do the “follow me,” without the need to sell his possessions, then Christ does not require it of the person. But there will be some other undone thing which needs doing.

Whatever the thing is that blocks us from following Him is the very thing that Jesus asks us to shed ourselves of, not as the adding of a positive but as the removing of a negative. To follow Jesus leads to eternal life. To sell possessions has no merit in itself, but it does have value if it removes the obstacle which keeps us from following Him.

The rich young man went away sad. He was no casual inquirer—this man had kept all the commandments. He was a sincere seeker. Eternal life was his goal. He asked the right question, but he struggled with the answer.

I suspect this rich young man already knew the undone thing in his life. I suspect that before he asked Christ he knew his affections for his money made him stumble. Why else would he have kept pursuing Jesus with questions? When Jesus told him to keep the commandments, why was he not overjoyed? Why did he ask if there was more? He asked because in his heart of hearts he knew he had left a thing undone.

Have you left a thing undone? The essential question surfaces by itself: What do I still lack? What impediment to true faith is blocking you? For some, it is money. But for others it may be lifestyle, morals, temper, substance abuse, a secret thought life of lust and fantasy, personal ambitions, impure thoughts, selfishness, or wrong motives. Don’t let it block you; lay it at the foot of the cross.

What is that thing which separates you from perfect devotion to Christ? Your relationship with Him would be made perfect, were it not for this one thing. Do you want to believe, but giving up that thing brings sad thoughts to your mind? Give it up. Surrender it to Jesus. Do not stumble over such a small thing. Do not leave the undone thing undone. “Then come, follow me.”

I SURRENDER

Jesus, I know the undone thing that has blocked me from following You. I surrender it to You now, by faith, to do with as You please. I offer it not as a good work which leads to salvation, but as the removal of the negative which has blocked me from following You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I acknowledge that I am a sinner and confess my sins. By faith, I receive You as my Savior and Lord. Take control of my life, and make me into the kind of person You want me to be. Thank You that by this action—faith and faith alone—You grant me eternal life, purpose, and meaning. Amen.