in the footsteps of the master: the life and times of jesus christ the rich, young ruler december...

In The Footsteps Of The Master:The Life and Times of Jesus Christ

The Rich, Young Ruler

December 11, 2011

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The Rich, Young Ruler• This incident occurs in all three Synoptics

– Mark was likely written first and provides the earliest narrative

– Matthew takes a slightly different approach– Luke includes additional material

• We’ll be using Luke’s narrative in Chapter 18 as the basis for today’s discussion


Someone Approaches Jesus• Luke 18:18

– 18A ruler questioned Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

• What kind of ruler?– Given the group that is following Jesus,

probably a ruler of the Jews, perhaps a synagogue leader

• Several interpretations of his question


Interpretation #1• The ruler says something “good” to Jesus,

expecting Jesus to respond with a “good” answer

• Remember the social interactions that we’ve been discussing for the past several lessons– Status and class were very important– The ruler was seeking to maintain or build

upon his status by association with Jesus


Interpretation #2• The ruler was genuinely seeking a wise

Rabbi’s answer to the question• His address of Jesus as “Good Teacher”

showed deference to his wisdom, learning and reputation

• He’s in much the same position as those Jesus called in the early days of his ministry

• “I’ve done everything required of me ... What else do you teach that I should do?”


Which is Correct?• Probably both ...• The ruler was probably seeking to have

his ego “stroked” a bit• Yet Mark points out that Jesus loved him

(verse 21)– Jesus obviously loves everyone, but may

have felt a special attachment to this man• For whatever reason, the man takes a

bold step forward and asks the question• Jesus takes advantage of the moment


Why Call Me Good?• Luke 18:19

– 19And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.”

• Why would Jesus respond this way?– Tends to support the “say something good,

hear something good” interpretation• Some scholars think that this phrasing

bothered Matthew enough to rephrase it in his Gospel


Matthew’s Version• Matthew 19:16-17

– 16And someone came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?” 17And He said to him, “Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

• This avoids the reference to Jesus Himself and the possible errant interpretation that Jesus and God are not one


The Commandments• Luke 18:20-21

– 20“You know the commandments, ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’” 21And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.”

• Jesus focuses on the five Commandments that address behavior toward others– Things you do– Same as the question asked: “What must I do?”


One Thing You Lack• Luke 18:22-23

– 22When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 23But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.

• Give it all away, then you’ll be rich• Change your relationship with/to others


Wealth and God’s Favor• In the Jewish culture (and often in America

today), wealth was seen as a sign of God’s favor– And poverty as a sign of His disfavor– It certainly fed their ideas of class and status

• This view springs from Deuteronomy 28 (and other passages)


Blessings on the Faithful• Deuteronomy 28:1-5

– 1“Now it shall be, if you diligently obey the LORD your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. 2All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you obey the LORD your God: 3Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. 4Blessed shall be the offspring of your body and the produce of your ground and the offspring of your beasts, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock. 5Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.


Blessings (cont.)• Deuteronomy 28:6-9

– 6Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. 7The LORD shall cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you; they will come out against you one way and will flee before you seven ways. 8The LORD will command the blessing upon you in your barns and in all that you put your hand to, and He will bless you in the land which the LORD your God gives you. 9The LORD will establish you as a holy people to Himself, as He swore to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in His ways.


Blessings (cont.)• Deuteronomy 28:10-12

– 10So all the peoples of the earth will see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they will be afraid of you. 11The LORD will make you abound in prosperity, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your beast and in the produce of your ground, in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers to give you. 12The LORD will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.


What Jesus Was Saying• Give up everything

– Including the belief that you are somehow in favor because of your wealth

– This command was not another thing to do– Instead, a surrender of everything to Jesus

• A radical paradigm shift– Give up power, wealth, status – obvious signs

of God’s favor– Be a blessing to the poor

• Come, follow Me– The same request he made of the Disciples


Any Difference?• Jesus challenged this ruler to the same

self-sacrificing lifestyle to which He called Peter, Andrew, James and John– And that He calls you and me, too

• Is this call to the ruler any different to the call to everyone?

• Was his situation different in any way?


Challenging Thoughts• “Keeping the individual commandments is

no substitute for the readiness for self-surrender to the absolute claim of God imposed through the call of the gospel. Jesus’ summons in this context means that true obedience to the Law is rendered ultimately in discipleship. This man will achieve perfect observance of the Law when he surrenders himself and follows Jesus.”– William L. Lane, NICNT, Gospel of Mark


The $64,000 Question• Is Jesus giving a new commandment to all

disciples to sell all possessions?• Did Jesus know the ruler’s heart and

challenge him with the one thing that he couldn’t do?

• What about Mary, Martha and Lazarus?• What about Joseph of Arimithea?• What about Zaccheus?• What about the other disciples?


For Discussion• We tend to dismiss the application to sell

all by saying that Jesus knew the man’s heart– No specific support for that view in the text,

but the interpretation is not invalid– However, the dismissal of the command for us

probably lets us off too easily– To be a disciple, one must travel light

• We overlook Jesus’ call for the man (and all) to follow Him


Camel vs. Needle’s Eye• Luke 18:24-25

– 24And Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! 25For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

• Jesus uses a common word picture– Largest animal in Palestine; smallest imaginable

opening• There was an Arabic saying about elephants

– Largest animal in Mesopotamia


Who Then Can Be Saved?• Luke 18:26-27

– 26They who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” 27But He said, “The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.”

• Salvation is then seemingly impossible• It’s not seemingly impossible, it is

impossible– There is nothing that we can do to earn

salvation• It is 100% God and 0% us


For Discussion• Does Jesus’ statement that “things that are

impossible with people are possible with God” get us off the hook for selling all and following Jesus?

• Can we hang onto wealth – or anything else, for that matter – and still make it into the Kingdom


Reward• Luke 18:28-30

– 28Peter said, “Behold, we have left our own homes and followed You.” 29And He said to them, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30who will not receive many times as much at this time and in the age to come, eternal life.”

• It is worth it!


Challenging Thoughts• “The deepest answer to the question of verse [Mark

10:]17 , however, lies not in the command to sell all but in the call to follow Jesus. Jesus separated persons from their normal historical existence in order to introduce them to a new quality of existence based upon fellowship with Himself. This means that the command to follow Jesus is an invitation to lay hold of authentic life offered as a gift in His own person. Jesus’ demand is radical in character. He claims the man utterly and completely, and orders the removal of every other support which could interfere with an unconditional obedience”– William L. Lane, NICNT, Gospel of Mark


Next Week• Jesus Predicts His Death and

Resurrection

in the footsteps of the master: the life and times of jesus christ the rich, young ruler december...

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