Jesus often taught on the principal of authentic faith. In this parable, we have Jesus confronted by a man who has done everything right in his life. Yet there is something essential lacking. Jesus uses this as a teachable moment for all of us.
18 A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’” 21 “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said.
First, we must understand the context of the character who approaches Jesus. Scriptures calls him a ruler. This eludes to two ideas. First, a ruler is an educated man. He knows the world around him as well as all of the Jewish laws and customs. Secondly, he is young, lacking a wisdom that age often brings. We see this as the story continues.
He refers to Jesus as “good teacher”. Rabbis of that era refused to be called good, because they reserved that only for God. That is why Jesus rebukes him so sharply.
But let’s look at the ruler’s question. “What must I do to inherit the kingdom of God?” The ruler comes to Jesus not with the true intention of discovering the truth, but to verify what he is already doing. He is also coming at this from the perspective of works (what must I do?). Since Judaism is primarily built on the works of keeping the law, this would be a common approach. He wants to keep the law properly.
Jesus sites the commandments. Well, the second part of the commandments, called the second tablet of the law. The ten commandments is broken into two sections. The first five deal with man’s relationship with God. The second deal with man’s relationship with other men. You’ll note, it is from the second tablet that Christ refers to. This, of course, is the part the ruler has kept (All of this I have kept since I was a boy).
22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 23 When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy. 24 Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25 Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
Jesus challenges the ruler. First: Sell everything-give to the poor-follow me. He says that the ruler lacks one thing: that thing is love. In other words, the ruler was able to keep the second table of the law (dealing with the people around him), but lacked the foundation of the first tablet (love and relationship with God). Giving to the poor and following him alone is the fulfillment of the first tablet.
In other words, this is what so many people in the world lack today. They have a sense of God and are able to indulge in “religiosity”, and everything on the surface may seem proper and good, but they lack the foundation of love and commitment.
Bottom line: God does not want our empty religious mechanisms. He doesn’t want us to dial it in. He doesn’t want us going through the motions. In this story, the ruler has the outward appearance of someone who is doing everything right, but the foundation is corrupt. That is apparent in verse 23, as Jesus gives him the choice, but the ruler cannot give up his life. He cannot follow with an authentic love. With a deep commitment.
That challenge is for all of us. Can we really put God first? Jesus challenges the ruler to love God more than possessions, position, honor, status. In other words, Jesus asks him to follow, and the man can’t. He can’t make the sacrifice.
You may notice that Jesus didn’t heal this man, didn’t magically turn him around. In fact, he asked for allegiance one time, and when the man didn’t take it, Jesus turned to the crowd and made it a teachable moment.
Riches are a problem for many reasons:
They tend to make us satisfied with this life (1 Tim 6:9-10). When we become satisfied with this life, our focus becomes corrupt. When we lose focus on God, God is not prominent in our life. He becomes an element, and not the nucleus (Matthew 6:24) The question we need to ask ourselves, when that happens, is “what is the center of our life?). Whatever that center is, if it isn’t God, it will not satisfy us (see Ecclesiastes, and Solomon’s attempt to wrestle this problem).
Psalm 62:10 gives us some good advice: If riches increase, do not set your heart on them.
Jesus’ example of a camel going through the eye of a needle is very appropriate. It is impossible. Why? Does wealth in itself forfeit the ability to go to Heaven? Wealth isn’t damnation. But wealth, like anything else in life, has the ability to steal our focus. Remember the first commandment:
God spoke all these words, saying, ‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.’” Exodus 20:1
Now Jesus’ commandment, which encompasses all of the 10 commandments: Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matt 22:37-40
God requires that we put him first in our life. He is the prime relationship of our life. Bad things must be subdued, but also good things like family, friends, hobbies, passions- these are all to take a backseat to our Godly relationship. This is what makes it very difficult for a rich person, because their heart and mind is on something else. This speaks to our dual nature as people (Matt 6:24). Until we come to an understanding of God’s love, and singularly follow, then there will always be that issue of dual nature.
26 Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?” 27 Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” 28 Peter said to him, “We have left all we had to follow you!” 29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30 will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.”
Jesus then makes it clear: leaving the things of comfort to follow will be repaid. In our lives, we have to look at this from an opportunity aspect. When we have opportunities to share or discuss or bring others to greater understanding, we are leaving the comfort and doing the work God intends for us to do. Only when we leave the comfort and follow, then we will be blessed.