What must I do to inherit Eternal Life?
What a question to ask someone setting out on a journey!!!
As I watched Sandee pack, as she prepared to set out on a journey, to attend a one week spiritual course, I thought of the man in this week’s Gospel Mark 10: 17-30
As Jesus was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’
Jesus was not catching a train, a bus or a plane, so I do not think he was anxious and pressed for time, yet his frame of mind must have been on his missionary journey. So to have someone kneel before you to ask such a question, I believe, would have been for him, a recognition that the work of the journey had already begun.
I realized that preparation is part of a journey. The man in the Gospel was also preparing for a journey toward eternal life. And Jesus was also setting out on his journey to his destiny in Jerusalem.
Journeys are wonderful things. They bring with them a sense of adventure, an element of the unknown, whether it’s a week-long course or the spiritual path that leads to eternal life. All require preparation, not just of bags and belongings, but of the heart and mind. The man in the Gospel was seeking guidance for his spiritual journey, and in his question, we see the beginning of his journey.
We are all setting off on a journey. And we all ask the question ‘how should I prepare for this journey?’ Jesus answers the man and by extension us - ‘keep the commandments’. Preparations for journeys are much more than what we should pack, it is more than the physical items we carry.
It is about the state of our hearts and the clarity of our purpose. Jesus' response, ‘keep the commandments,’ points to the deeper preparation required—a life rooted in love, service, integrity, and a commitment to God’s will.
Just as Sandee carefully considers what to take for her journey, we are called to reflect on what we carry on our life’s journeys: what attitudes, attachments, or distractions need to be left behind, so we can follow Christ with an open heart and a clear mind. The journey is not just about the destination; it’s about how we travel, and who we become along the way.
Friend, what journey are you setting out on? What is Jesus telling you as he says ‘keep the commandments’? How can you prepare your mind and heart for this journey? Follow me this week as we explore the story of Jesus and the man and what it means for your journey.
Also, I invite you to purchase a copy of my small book on my journey back to my childhood town, what insights I drew from it and how it can trigger your insights, by clicking on the following link A Transformative Journey
Or you may wish to attend my online retreat on Navigating Life Transitions to embark on your next journey at the link Navigating Life Transitions Retreat