Thursday, June 13, 2024
The Rich Young Ruler – Matthew 19:16-22 Submitted by Kay Crumley
The story of the rich young ruler is in three of the four gospels. That suggests that it is an important lesson that we should all learn from. The fact that this is a lesson Jesus taught shortly before He would be arrested is another reason we should give our attention to this story. What are the lessons we can find in this passage?
Who is this young ruler? The title ruler suggests he was a prince or magistrate. He would have been Jewish because he addressed Jesus as teacher or rabbi. It is likely that he is a ruler in the local Temple. Verse 22 tells us he had many possessions, he was wealthy. He may have appeared, by worldly values, to have had it all. He was young, had power, prestige, and possessions. Yet, he feared that something was missing so he came to Jesus for answers.
He approached Jesus and addressed Him as Good Teacher or Rabbi. Both Mark and Luke include that form of address. Only One is Good, that is God. While Jesus didn’t deny His own deity, He did cause the young ruler to consider the recognition he was giving Jesus. As a temple ruler, he would have known all the laws and understood what the law required of him. He even declared that he had kept the commandments for his entire life.
You may notice that those Jesus listed were didn’t include the commandments concerning man’s relationship to God, but only those that addressed man’s relationship to man. In terms of human goodness, the young man considered himself faultless.
16 Just then someone came up and asked Him, “Teacher, what good must I do to have eternal life?”
17 “Why do you ask Me about what is good?” He said to him. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
18 “Which ones?” he asked Him. Jesus answered:
Do not murder;
do not commit adultery;
do not steal;
do not bear false witness;
19 honor your father and your mother;
and love your neighbor as yourself.
20 “I have kept all these,” the young man told Him. “What do I still lack?”
21 “If you want to be perfect,” Jesus said to him, “go, sell your belongings and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”
22 When the young man heard that command, he went away grieving, because he had many possessions.
The young man was at a loss for what he could possibly do that he hadn’t already done to be ‘perfect’ in the eyes of the law. But Jesus knew his heart. He understood the true focus of his life was not on God, but on his wealth. Jesus then gave him the answer he sought. Get rid of your stuff and give it to the poor, then follow Jesus. The young man was not willing to part with his wealth. That would likely have lowered his power and prestige among his peers. He was more concerned with earthly power, prestige, and possessions than of submitting his life to Jesus. Oh, he was sad because he couldn’t have it both ways, but not enough to change his focus to put God first in his life.
Mark 10:21 includes Jesus’ feelings toward this young man, He looked at him and loved him. Jesus loves us even in our sinful nature, even in our selfishness. We are saved by grace, Galatians 2:16. This young man thought he could follow the law, be good enough, or work hard enough to fulfill all the rules to be saved. Yet, the thing he lacked placing God first in his life. We are powerless to save ourselves.
That led the disciples to question Jesus. If the powerful and wealthy can’t do enough to be saved how can anyone be saved? Jesus gave the answer in Matthew 19:26 “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Salvation is a gift from God, not by anything we can do or earn. We are required to do these three things; repent of our sin, believe the gospel of Jesus Christ, and follow Jesus. Even following Jesus is not something we can do alone, but in the power of the Holy Spirit. The question we must all answer is ‘what is most important to me?’ If the answer is anything but God the Father then please review the three things required to have eternal salvation, repent, believe, and follow. God our Father through the sacrifice of Jesus and in the power of the Holy Spirit will do the rest. We are saved by His grace.
