He
said to him, “Teacher, I have observed all these things from my youth.”
Mark 10:20
Mark 10 [18.] Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except one—God. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not give false testimony,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and mother.’”
Mark 10 [20.] He said to him, “Teacher, I have observed all these things from my youth.”
Mark 10 [21.] Jesus looking at him loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me, taking up the cross.”
Meaning:
Jesus had answered the man who asked about eternal life by reminding him of the commandments: do not murder, commit adultery, steal, give false testimony or defraud, and honour your father and mother (Mark 10:18-19). The man’s reply is short and confident. He has kept them all, and kept them for as long as he can remember. It is not an arrogant boast so much as an honest statement of a respectable life. Yet the very next verse shows that something was still missing (Mark 10:21).
- “Teacher”
This time the man does not say “Good Teacher”. Jesus had questioned that word, saying, “No one is good except one—God.” The man drops it, but he still thinks of Jesus as a teacher who can tell him what more to do. He has not yet seen that he is speaking to the one who will give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).
- “I have observed all these things”
There is no reason to think the man was lying. In the outward sense he had not murdered, committed adultery, stolen, lied in court, cheated or dishonoured his parents. Many devout Jews of his day took great care to keep the law, and Paul could say of his own life before he knew Christ, “concerning the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless” (Philippians 3:6-8). Outward obedience matters, and Jesus does not mock it. But the commandments also reach the heart. Jesus taught that lust is adultery in the heart (Matthew 5:28) and that evil thoughts, covetings and pride come “from within, out of the hearts of men” (Mark 7:21-22). The man had kept the rules he could see, without yet facing the question of what ruled his heart.
- “From my youth”
Jewish boys were taught the law from childhood and were held responsible to keep the commandments from about the age of thirteen. The man looks back over years of careful living. The psalmist asked, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word” (Psalm 119:9). This man had tried to do that, and it is to his credit. Still, Matthew records that he went on to ask, “What do I still lack?” (Matthew 19:20). A clean record had not given him peace or the certainty of eternal life.
- A sincere man, but not yet free
The man stands between two other figures in Jesus’ teaching. He is not like the proud Pharisee in Jesus’ parable who prayed, “God, I thank you, that I am not like the rest of men” (Luke 18:11), because he came to Jesus humbly, kneeling and asking. Nor is he yet like Paul, who learned to count his own achievements as loss for Christ. He is sincere, moral and seeking, and Jesus “loved him”. But his reply shows that he still saw eternal life as the reward for a good record, and he had not realised that God “looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).
The Significance of Mark 10:20
- A good life is not the same as a surrendered life
Honesty, faithfulness and respect for parents are good things, and believers should practise them. But they cannot replace trust in Christ and the willingness to put him first. A person can keep many commandments and still hold back the heart.
- Let God search the heart
The man measured himself by his actions. God measures the heart. It is wise to pray for God to show us what we love most, so that nothing takes his place.
Cross-References:
1 Samuel 16:7: "For man looks at the outward appearance, but Yahweh looks at the heart." God sees beyond a respectable outward life.
Philippians 3:7: "However, I consider those things that were gain to me as a loss for Christ." Paul’s blameless record counted as nothing compared with knowing Christ.
Psalm 119:9: "How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word." The godly path the man had tried to follow from his youth.
Matthew 5:48: "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect." The true standard of the law is the perfection of God.
Conclusion: The man told Jesus that he had kept all the commandments from his youth, and in the outward sense he probably had. His answer reveals a sincere, disciplined life, but also a belief that eternal life could be secured by a good record. Jesus, who looked at him with love, was about to show him that the real question was not what he had done, but what his heart was holding on to.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible