Money or Life?

I was reminded of the childhood game we used to play:
"Money or Life or Your Bald-Headed Wife?" :)
This is where friends would come up to us and ask this question
(Bald-Headed Wife was added later for fun and rhyme)
If we chose Money, we'd get 'beaten' (tickled) by our friends.
If we chose Life, we'd have to 'give up' all the money we had to save ourselves from the 'beatings'.

Usually the answer would be rather simple: We'd choose Life. We rationalise that we could always earn back the money we lost.

Here in Mark 10:17-31, we see the same questions being asked though in a different light.

The rich young man had the money (v22) and he was seeking eternal life (v17).

Jesus' reply was: Sell everything and follow Him (v21).

The man's face fell and he went away sad.

He chose Money.

Its interesting to note that although the man had 'eveything' in his wealth, Jesus still said there was one thing he 'lacked'. (v21)

And that was he loved his money more than eternal life.

His love for money, for whatever reason (security, power, pleasures of the world etc), was hindering his access to eternal life.

At the end of the day, we all have to answer this question, Money or Life?

Choose wisely my friends.