The Only One

So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God."   Mark 10:18

Hmm, certainly lots of Pharisees had a difference of opinion on that. Only One is good, that is, God. It is one of the more astonishing recordings of our Lord's words. Did He just say that He wasn't God? Yet He will later tell His disciples that He and the Father are one. (John 10:30) Or perhaps He says that we, born fallen sinners, are unable to tell who is good, and thus we should begin with God alone? 

The story begins with a man running up to Jesus and kneeling at His feet and asking, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" Always with the unbeliever it is the action one may take without God in order to gain everlasting life. "What must I do?" becomes a way to reject what Jesus came to do for all who will believe in Him. When asking after eternal life in worldly unbelief, does the man understand that it isn't a continuation of his life of many possessions? Apparently not, as in the last verse of this story, the man goes away sorrowful. He wanted to know what he could do to gain what he wanted, yet he didn't want to do once he found out what he needed to do. 

Since Jesus did for us what we needed for eternal life, let us just accept His already done. 

And God is good!

Bucky