Rich Young Ruler St Mark’s 10.3. 17 Luke 18:18-30
Audio:https://www.dropbox.com/s/q0t94h5kw5qgv5h/2%20Wilson%20Street%20John%20morning%20sermon.m4a?dl=0
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53GtY8ok2XA
Introduction
Time and again in Luke we have seen that against all expectations, marginalised people, such as Gentiles, women, sinners and Samaritans, experienced the power of God. The upside-down nature of God’s kingdom (Acts 17:6) keeps revealing itself in today’s story, for in a time when wealth was seen as a sign of God’s favour (cf. Prov 6:6-11; 10:4; 28:19) Jesus’ encounter with a rich man turns ends in tragedy. Since most of us probably think we are closer to the dispossessed than the wealthy we must pay special attention to the heart of this story.
Exposition
It’s likely that the rich man was in the crowd that had just heard Jesus’ say, “Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”” (Luke 18:17). Being far above children on the social ladder his conscience was provoked to ask about his own fitness for heaven.
v.18 …a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.
The term “ruler” is used throughout Luke of religious leaders (8:41, 23:13, 35; 24:20), like the Sadducees, who were wealthy aristocrats occupying positions of high status. Like pastors who are happy when a doctor or businessman turns up at church, most itinerant rabbis would have been thrilled to be approached by a member of the elite. But Jesus is one of a kind.
“Good Teacher” is a title of respect which on the surface suggests that this man wants to be a disciple, a sort of apprentice, of Jesus. The use of titles involves a status game, he’s honoured Jesus as a notable rabbi and now he expects Jesus to honour him. But by the end of the story he has dishonoured Jesus by his refusing to follow his teachings and has reckoned the Lord to be a poor teacher. Every time we compromise on what we know God says in scripture we do the same.
When Christ points out only God is good (1 Chron 16:34; 2 Chron 5:13; Pss 25:8; 34:8 etc.), he is raising the bar on true spirituality in preparation for the crushing truth of what is to come.
Though this story will end poorly for the ruler, we must fairly reckon his level of godliness. The question, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” doesn’t mean “what must I do to merit eternal life?” Earlier in Luke when Jesus explains that the two greatest commandments are to love God with all our being and love one’s neighbour as oneself, he ends with, “do this, and you will live.”” (Luke 10:28). Jesus now provides the ruler with a list of things to do, drawn from the second part of the Ten Commandments all of which have to do with how we treat others.
20…‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’” 21 And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.”
At this stage of the dialogue this guy is feeling confident about where he’s at with God. and Jesus isn’t interested in making him feel bad by deflating his positivity. He doesn’t say (cf. Luke 18:11; Phil 3:6) for instance, actually you’ve broken the adultery rule by looking lustfully at a woman (Matt 5:28). Such transgressions are secondary, for what the Lord is about to say will cut him to his deepest heart (Heb 4:12-13).
22…“One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
This word from the Lord exposed the true love of this man’s life for scripture says, it is “the love of money which is the root of every kind of evil” (1 Tim 6:10). Jesus didn’t give the man an option of keeping some of his cash in reserve for a rainy day or ask for a “tithe” for his ministry. Christ had already taught publicly, “you cannot serve God and money” (16:13), and, “Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Luke 12:33-34). This man, so confident that he understood God’s ways in scripture, had utterly failed to grasp God had given him great wealth for the whole family of God and it was to be released according to the word of the Lord. This encounter with Jesus was his God-ordained opportunity to enter eternal life.
The earliest Christians got a hold of these realities, sow e read in Acts, “no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common…There was not a needy person among them [how incredible], for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them…35…and it was distributed to each as any had need.” (4:32, 35 cf. Gal 6:10). Eternal life was bursting out through the early Church into the world.
Do you recognise the Lord has given you wealth to share? Gifts of hospitality, friendship, knowledge, artistry, prayer, wisdom, teaching, administration etc. We need more Christian lawyers who will work pro bono, health professionals willing to close the medicare gap, tradesmen taking care of the underprivileged and so on. This is an enormous challenge. John, Jesus’ closest friend, teaches, “whoever does not love their brother or sister whom they can seen cannot love God whom they have not seen.” (1 John 4:20). Back to the story.
23 But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.
The heart of this man was crushed by the truth that he loved the things of this world more than he loved the kingdom of God present in Christ. He said he wanted eternal life but he was actually unwilling to count the cost of such a glorious inheritance (Luke 25:14-23). He couldn’t give up an identity tied to high status, recognition and respect. He couldn’t give without an expectation of return (Luke 14:13). He is far from the kingdom of heaven. It’s easy to claim Jesus as Saviour but it sometimes feel impossible to follow him as Lord. If you never struggle to follow Jesus you’re probably not following him at all.
24 Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
It is impossible for a camel to threaded through a needle, so it is not to be expected that rich people take on the humble status of the poor, sick, little children and others who truly follow Jesus enter God’s kingdom and are saved.
26 Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” 27 But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
JY conversation at supermarket check-out with attendant about his strategic plan to make money and enjoy life whilst he’s young. The hearts of the crowd, like this young man, were in the grip of mammon, so their astonishment “can anyone be saved?”, is starkly realistic. Thankfully, God can do the impossible and save anyone; even greedy, covetous, selfish people like us (1 Cor 6:9-10). Jesus can break the power of materialism.
28 And Peter said, “See, we have left our homes and followed you.” 29 And 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, 30 who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.”
Peter and the other disciples have done just what Jesus asked of the ruler. They had left occupations, homes and securities to follow Jesus (Luke 5:11, 28). This was a true sign that they were seeking the kingdom of God as a first priority and were saved people (Matt 6:33). In God’s kingdom there is a new family with a new set of values about life’s priorities. E.g. asked to take food to someone recovering from major surgery recently, praise God they’d received so much help they were running out of room in their fridge.
Conclusion
It is natural to want to be prosperous, but even before Jesus was born Mary sung prophetically, “he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.” (Luke 1:53). The rich young man left empty of the things of God not so much because he was choked by wealth (Luke 8:14), but more because he didn’t believe Jesus personally had the words of eternal life (John 6:68). If Jesus is truly Lord of our lives we will not hoard the things of this world because compared to the glories of knowing eternal life in Christ (Rom 8:18; 2 Cor 4:17) they are mere perishable junk.
What do we speak about most passionately or think about most committedly? If its something other than Jesus then that’s where your wealth is, that’s where your heart is (Luke 12:34) and that’s why the power of God’s kingdom isn’t real in your life. incredibly, the rich ruler went away from Jesus in a worse state than which he approached him! His earthly wealth was assured, but he had no treasures in heaven. Don’t be like this rich fool. If you want certainty about salvation now and assurance that when you die you’ll go to heaven, let go of whatever you’re still holding on to in your deepest heart and follow Christ. God sometimes gives people prophetic words which can only be recognised in hindsight. Sometime before he was martyred Jim Eliot testified, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Sacrifice what you cannot keep for the eternal happiness of entering the kingdom of God.