I ONCE WAS LOST: SEEKING AFTER GOD
Mark 10:17-31
Pastor Calvary deJong
July 13, 2025
Introduction: The Little Mermaid
Have you ever wanted something—until you found out what it would cost? And then you completely changed your mind? In Hans Christian Andersen’s original version of The Little Mermaid, the story is far more tragic than the Disney version most of us know. The mermaid isn’t just curious—she’s captivated. She longs to belong, to love, to be part of something greater than the sea. When she sees the prince, her desire deepens, so she makes a deal with the sea witch: she gives up her voice—her ability to speak and sing—for human legs. But there’s a catch. If the prince doesn’t love her in return, she will die.
She agrees. She gives up everything: her voice, her home, even her identity—for the hope of a new life. But in the end, the prince chooses another, and the little mermaid dissolves into sea foam. She longed for love—but the cost was too much.
A similar tension runs through today’s Scripture. A rich young ruler comes to Jesus, longing for eternal life. But when Jesus names the cost, he walks away sad. He wanted a new life—but not enough to let go of the old one. We live in a culture full of spiritual interest. People explore meaning and ask deep questions. But in Mark 10, we meet someone who seemed to be seeking—until Jesus revealed what was really going on in his heart. We’re now in week four of our series on evangelism informed by Everts & Schaupp’s book I Once Was Lost, which traces the five thresholds people often cross on their way to faith in Jesus. So far, we’ve explored:
- Moving from distrust to trust
- From complacency to curiosity
- Becoming open to change
- And now—seeking after God
This fourth threshold feels especially urgent—because this is where longing becomes active. Questions turn into an active pursuit. The soul begins reaching for God. But often, this is also where people get stuck. They want something more—but they’re not ready to give something up.
When Seeking Meets a Crossroads
Mark 10 introduces us to a man who looks like the perfect seeker. He runs to Jesus (v.17), kneels before Him, and asks the ultimate question: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” He’s eager. He’s respectful. He’s moral. And yet, his story ends in heartbreak.
Jesus begins by referencing the Old Testament commandments (v.18–19). The young man responds, “Teacher, all these I have kept since I was a boy” (v.20). But Jesus sees deeper. “Jesus looked at him and loved him,” the text says (v.21). And it’s from that place of love that Jesus says, “One thing you lack: Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” This is the turning point. Jesus isn’t rejecting the man—He’s inviting him into something far more beautiful than religious rule-keeping. But it will cost him. And at that moment, the man’s face falls. He walks away sad, “because he had great wealth” (v.22).
What makes this so tragic is how close he was. He recognized something valuable in Jesus. He sought Him out. He even asked the right question. But he wasn’t ready to surrender. He wanted eternal life—but on his own terms.
Jesus then turns to His disciples and teaches them what this moment reveals: “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” (v.23). Not because wealth is inherently bad, but because it tempts us to rely on ourselves. The disciples are shocked. “Who then can be saved?” they ask (v.26). Jesus replies, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God” (v.27).
It’s not just about money. It’s about anything that keeps us from fully trusting Jesus—control, comfort, approval, or security. In contrast to the ruler’s sorrow, Peter speaks up and says, “We have left everything to follow you!” (v.28). Jesus affirms their sacrifice and promises reward—not just in eternity, but now: “a hundred times as much… along with persecutions” (v.30). The way of Jesus is costly—but it’s worth it. This passage confronts each of us with a question: What’s my “one thing”? What am I still holding onto?
Application: Seeking Means Surrender
Many people today are seeking—spiritually open, curious, even eager. But seeking without surrender is like circling the block and never turning into the driveway. It’s movement without destination.
I’ve seen this up close in the life of my friend Lance. He didn’t come from a religious background. He’d been through a lot—drugs, instability. But he started showing up at everything our church offered: Sunday nights, Bible studies, and our young adults group. Slowly, he began to open his life to Jesus.
One moment that stuck with him? A soccer game. He slipped up and swore loudly in front of my wife—the “pastor’s wife”. He thought he’d blown it. But no one scolded him. And in that moment of grace, he realized he didn’t have to clean up to belong. He was welcome to belong while he figured out what he believed about Jesus and that seeking was welcome—even when it was messy.
Today, Lance is following Jesus—married, raising kids, and being considered for pastoral leadership. Because he didn’t just seek. He surrendered. And the reason we can surrender? Because Jesus did it first. He is the true Rich Young Ruler—who gave up eternal riches, divine power, and heaven’s throne to become poor for our sake. “Though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich”(2 Corinthians 8:9). Jesus didn’t just point us to the kingdom. He made a way in.
Questions for Reflection & Action
- Where am I still seeking, but not yet surrendered?
- What is my “one thing”—the obstacle Jesus may be gently naming?
- Who around me is seeking God and needs my encouragement or example?
Prayer of Response
Jesus,
You know me completely.
You see what I hold onto—what I’m afraid to let go.
And still You love me.
Give me the courage to surrender whatever keeps me from You.
Help me to trust Your call, to follow You fully,
And to walk in the freedom only You can give.
Amen.