There is an incident recorded in three of the synoptic gospels,(Mt 19 v 16-26,Mk, 10 v17- 31 and Lk,18 v18 -27 ) It is about a rich young ruler, who wanted to know from Jesus how could he could obtain eternal life. The law is mentioned , Christ tells him to keep the commandments.Which ones? Jesus mentions six,the last being,' You shall love your neighbour as yourself' ( Leviticus 19 v 18),These words are a summing up of our attitude towards others. Let us also remember that we cannot be saved by keeping the law,( Gal 3 v10 ff) as we will see. The young man said that he kept the commandments mentioned,so Jesus put Him to the test, and told him,to sell his possessions and to give to the poor,and come follow Him.Sad to say the love of His money won the day and he went away sad for he owned much property.Anna Olander wrote a hymn called,'If I gained the world ,but lost the Saviour'.
'O what emptiness !-without the Saviour
Mid the sins and sorrows here below!
And eternity, how dark without Him!
Only night and tears and endless woe!
What ,tho' I might live without the Saviour,
When I come to die , how would it be?
O to face the valley's gloom without Him!
And without Him all eternity'.
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