Jesus looked at him and loved him. 'One thing you lack,' he said. 'Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.' But the man went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Mark specifically adds 'Jesus looked at him and loved him' before the hard saying. The love precedes the demand. That distinction matters. Jesus doesn't love you if you obey. He loves you, and then speaks truth. The man's sadness at having to choose between wealth and following suggests the choice cost something real.
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