What Jesus Did! 'What Else?' — Matthew 19:17-20

Wow, can you believe somebody actually had the audacity to say it! "I've obeyed all these, so what's next for me to check off my list so I can go to heaven?" We sometimes think a checklist might be nice so that we could check off the items we need to do to ensure our entry into heaven. Thankfully God didn't give us one. The Old Testament law was a list of commands and demands God gave, but no one could fulfill them. All fell short. Even worse, many tried to judge themselves by comparing themselves with others to see how many more things on the list they could check off than the other person (2 Corinthians 10:12). Most sad of all, in the process of checking lists and comparing righteousness, many forgot to give their hearts to God. They made something beautiful and precious into religious formality and facade. The young man in this story falls into this last category. He was not a bad person. In fact, compared to most in his day, he was probably most exemplary. But his list left little room for giving himself, and what he held most dear, to the Lord, as the next verses show (Matthew 19:21-22). It was the one "thing" he lacked, and it was everything, because he hadn't yielded his heart.