GREAT THINGS ENTERPRISE
CLAUDE BLACK
Mark 10:31
Running the Wrong Direction
It was the final football game of the season between two rival high schools, and the score was tied—East Cloverdale 21 to Overton 20 in the fourth quarter. The clock was running out, and Cloverdale had the ball. The Cloverdale quarterback wanted to run a simple play and let the game end, so he called for a play he had used successfully many times—a pass to his right-flank tight end. The quarterback received the ball and completed the pass. However, there was a scramble on the line; the receiver was turned around, broke loose, and began to sprint downfield. The crowd roared as he ran for the end zone. He crossed the line and spiked the ball, scoring a touchdown. Only too late did he realize that he had run in the wrong direction and scored for the opposing team—Overton won, 26 to 21.
A limousine pulled to the curb, and a handsome, elegantly dressed young man stepped out and walked confidently to the door. The usher asked for his ticket. He didn’t have a ticket. He was the mayor. However, the usher signaled for him to stand aside. The expression on the young man’s face showed that he was unaccustomed to being pushed aside. A line of people presented their tickets and were allowed through the door. At last, the usher told the young man that there were no more seats available.
In Mark’s account, a young man approached Jesus seeking eternal life. The young man was wealthy and socially prominent. He lived a good life, keeping all the social rules expected of him. He came seeking eternal life—a noble and worthy aspiration. All he had to do was break loose from the social and economic ties he had worked hard to acquire—and follow Jesus. He couldn’t bring himself to make such a radical change and walked away—from Jesus and eternal life.
Jesus used this occasion to teach his disciples about the powerful hold wealth and social position can have on an individual. He concluded his lesson by telling his disciples: “But many who are first will be last, and the first last.” (Mark 10:31) Like the football player who ran in the wrong direction or the young mayor without a ticket, it is easy to make the wrong choice. Jesus was not suggesting that one shirk his social, ethical, or financial responsibilities, but that one must not mistake achievements for eternal life.
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