S – 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.” ²² Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. 

Mark 10:21–22 ESV

O – Commentary:

Jesus saw beneath the rich man’s religious devotion to his deepest need and loved him, something mentioned only in Mark (cf. comment on 10:14). The one necessary thing he lacked was unrivaled allegiance to God, since wealth was his god (v. 22). He was devoted to it rather than God, thereby breaking the first commandment (Ex. 20:3).

Jesus commanded two things: (1) The man was to go, sell all his assets, and give to the poor, thereby removing the obstacle blocking him from eternal life, namely, self-righteous achievement coupled with a love for money. (2) Also Jesus told him to follow (pres. imper.) Him to Jerusalem and the Cross. The way to eternal life was in turning from trust in self-attainments and earthly securities to trust in Jesus (cf. Mark 10:14–15).

 John D. Grassmick, “Mark,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 150–151.

A – I was drawn to these verses today because it said, “Jesus, looked at him, loved him…” Unfortunately, the man loved religion and his wealth more than he loved Jesus.  Jesus loved him right where he was.  Isn’t that how he approaches us?  In our quest for love, Jesus loves us first.  In our misguided love, Jesus loves us first.  In our ability to “figure it all out (and do good things,)  Jesus gives us a solution.  What do we choose today?

R – Heavenly Father, you are Love.  Empower us to see beyond the things we love and adhere to as good to see you in it.  We invite your Holy Spirit to unveil our eyes to see as you see and to love as you love.

 S – ⁷ For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, ⁸ but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. ⁹ He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. 

Titus 1:7–9 ESV

O – Commentary:

Paul was simply affirming that these qualifications are required of all overseers. The need for blamelessness is repeated from verse 6. The reason this quality is so important is that an overseer serves as a steward of God. Damage to a church leader’s reputation is damage to God’s reputation. Then Paul resumed his list with five vices which must not characterize an overseer: (4) not overbearing, not arrogant and self-willed; (5) not quick-tempered (cf. James 1:19–20); (6) not given to much wine; (7) not violent (cf. 1 Tim. 3:3 for this and the previous vice); (8) not pursuing dishonest gain (cf. comments on 1 Tim. 6:5).

1:8. Whereas verse 7 lists negative characteristics to avoid, verse 8 lists positive qualities to be sought. The elder must be (9) hospitable (cf. 1 Tim. 3:2); (10) one who loves what is good (cf. Ps. 15); (11) self-controlled, or temperate and sensible (sōphrona; cf. Gal. 5:23; 1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 2:2, 4); (12) upright (dikaion, “just”); (13) holy (these last two are, with blamelessness, two of the characteristics Paul himself had modeled [cf. 1 Thes. 2:10], but neither is mentioned in 1 Tim. 3); and (14) disciplined (in contrast to the vices of Titus 1:7; cf. 1 Tim. 4:7–8).

1:9. Not only must an overseer meet moral and spiritual standards in his personal life, but he must also be a reliable man of the Word

 A. Duane Litfin, “Titus,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 762–763.

A – God holds a high standard for those who are leaders in the church.  Yet, they are attainable with a healthy, growing relationship with Him.  There is nothing on either list that is so great of a challenge that someone is excluded.  It comes down to the choices people make and the willingness to surrender our whole lives to God.  

R – Heavenly Father, we worship and surrender to you.  You alone are worthy of our honor and praise.  We confess that we fall short in areas of our lives.  Empower us to grow more like you in them and give us the strength and courage to face them straight up.  We want to live in a way that brings you glory.