Such was the preparation necessary before this admirable soul could become a disciple of Jesus Christ. To use the language of Dr. Donald Davidson:

“Strip yourself of every possession, cut away every affection, disengage yourself from all things, be as if you were a naked soul, alone in the world; be a mere man merely, and then be God’s.

“Sell everything you have and... follow me”! Reduce yourself down, if I may say so, till nothing remains but your consciousness of yourself, and then cast the self-consciousness at the feet of God in Christ.

“The only way to Jesus is alone. Will you strip yourself and separate yourself and take that lonely road, or will you too ‘go away sorrowful’?”

We are not told his name—this “rich young ruler” Who sought the Lord that day;

We only know that he had great possessions And that—he went away.

He went away; he kept his earthly treasure But oh, at what a cost!

Afraid to take the cross and lose his riches— And God and Heaven were lost.

So for the tinsel bonds that held and drew him What honor he let slip—

Comrade of John and Paul and friend of Jesus— What glorious fellowship!

For they who left their all to follow Jesus Have found a deathless fame, On his immortal scroll of saints and martyrs God wrote each shining name.

We should have read his there—the rich young ruler—If he had stayed that day; Nameless—though Jesus loved him—ever nameless because—he went away.