“Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, ‘You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.”
—Mark 10:21-22

I love the word play here. First off, the text makes it clear that Jesus knows that these words are harsh. But, the text tries to assure us that even these seemingly hard, impossible, graceless words actually come from a place of love from within Jesus.

Also, I love how he calls this young man’s wealth a lack. The things we have can actually be a void to our souls and our humanity. And so, the implication is that by giving things away he receives a fullness. He gains something. A lack is turned into an abundance as his abundance is turned into something that is lacking.

For more on possessions, scarcity, and the economy of God’s abundance, read: A Brief Theology of Stewardship.

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