March 25, 2025
Discover how one powerful encounter with Jesus challenges every business leader to examine their relationship with wealth, ambition, and the foundation they’re building on.
Mark 10:17–22 (ESV)
"And as he 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?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions."
This passage hits hard—especially for those of us who lead, build, and carry responsibility. The rich young ruler comes to Jesus asking the right question: What must I do to inherit eternal life? He’s moral, successful, respected. Outwardly, he has it all together. But Jesus sees something deeper. He presses on the one area of the man’s life that still holds his trust: his wealth. “You lack one thing.”
Not more effort. Not more knowledge. Not better leadership skills. What he lacked was surrender. Jesus wasn’t condemning wealth—but He was exposing what held the man’s heart. The man wanted eternal life, but he wanted to keep his hands full, too. And when Jesus asked him to let go—to truly follow—he walked away sorrowful.
Many have explained this passage well, but one perspective that helped clarify it for me came from R.C. Sproul. He pointed out that the young man misunderstood goodness itself. By calling Jesus “Good Teacher,” he revealed that he didn’t yet grasp who he was talking to—or how holiness really works. Jesus wasn’t denying His divinity—He was drawing attention to it. Only God is good. And if Jesus truly is good, then His words carry authority that demands surrender.
Let’s be honest—today’s business world runs on one dominant message:
Make more money.
Need growth? Revenue.
Need peace? Profit.
Need purpose? Financial freedom.
But if we’re not careful, money stops being a tool and becomes the target. We begin to chase success in a way that slowly replaces our dependence on God with dependence on our own strength. Like the rich young ruler, we still say the right things. But deep down, we trust our spreadsheets more than our Savior.
And I’m not speaking in theory here. I’ve seen this in my own life. There are moments where I say with my mouth, “God is enough,” but my habits, my hustle, my overwork... they tell a different story. They say I think my hands will bring me peace—not His Word. That performance and control will secure the future—not His presence. And that tension—between belief and behavior—reveals what I’m really trusting.
I don’t want that to be true. And maybe you don’t either. Jesus’ invitation is the same today as it was back then: Let go. Follow Me. And He says it with love—not shame. He said it to the rich young ruler with affection in His eyes. He says it to us with the same heart. Because He knows that whatever we’re clinging to instead of Him is just slowing us down, weighing us down, and holding us back from life that actually lasts.
So let us ask ourselves this week:
• What’s the one thing I’m most afraid to surrender?
• Is my business truly built on Christ—or have I placed my trust in the systems of this world?
• Would I follow Jesus if it meant walking away from profit, from influence, from comfort?
Let’s not just reflect—let’s repent. Let’s recalibrate. Let’s tear down the idols, open our hands, and follow Jesus like we actually believe He’s better.