Luke 18:18-27 [Christian Character 3]
Pastor Ron Koehler
Grace—Benson/Vail, AZ
October 20, 2019
Christian Character: The Believer Serves God Above All A contestant in the Miss USA competition (Miss Alabama, 1994) was asked, “If you could live forever, would you and why?” Her answer? "I would not live forever, because we should not live forever, because if we were supposed to live forever, then we would live forever, but we cannot live forever, which is why I would not live forever." Now, I’m not trying to make fun of that young lady or beauty and talent contestants in general or anything like that. My point in mentioning it is that when asked the question about living forever, she didn’t really have an answer—and if she was a Christian that’s really a shame. That big question asked on a big stage came very close to THE big question that every person must face. Today in God’s Word, we hear how Jesus was approached by a wealthy young man who asked our Lord the BIG question. As he answered the young man, Jesus impressed all who heard when he made it clear that eternal life is for believer and The Believer Serves God Above All Else. As we consider this account from Luke’s gospel, a few of the details that I’ll mention along the way come from Matthew and Mark, who also recorded this interaction of Jesus with this wealthy young man. These little bits and pieces from each of the three gospel writers help us to clearly picture what happened that day. One day Jesus was walking along and a young (Matthew 19:20) man sprinted up to him and dropped to his knees, begging Jesus for an answer to his question (Mark 10:17). What kind of nagging question prompted a man to throw himself at the Savior’s feet? A big one! Really, it is THE big question of life. “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Later the jailer in the city of Philippi would ask Paul and Silas “What must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30). The same question these men asked is asked by everyone in some way at some time. All people have that nagging voice inside that asks what happens after we die, what do we have to do to live eternally. “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” the man asked. We don’t always like it when someone answers a question with a question, but Jesus did that here—and with good reason. Jesus asked, “Why do you call me good? No one is good—except God alone.” That sounds kind of funny—as if Jesus was not claiming to be good and distancing himself from God. But exactly the opposite was true. This man needed to reflect on who should be called “good” and whether Jesus was simply a teacher…or something more. Jesus was and is not simply “good”, but great. He was and is certainly much more than just a teacher, he is the Savior. But would the man listen and come to know this?
Jesus continued and responded to the man’s question. 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.’ This wealthy young man, who was a leader or ruler (probably of a synagogue), was asking how to be saved. Did Jesus really just point him to the commandments? Did he really only point him to a handful of the commandments—just some that had to do with how we treat others? That was his answer?! Well not exactly. This was Jesus’ initial response, but not his answer. He was leading the man into further discussion and reflection on his life. He was not harassing him or leading him astray, he was trying to teach a man that probably knew a lot about the commands of God and made excellent efforts to live by them. He was a man who thought he served God above everything else. “I’ve kept these since I was a boy” the man said. No doubt he was an honorable young man. I bet you could have found many people who would have agreed. He was probably the kind of young man a Jewish father and mother would like to see pop the question to their daughter. He was sincere. He believed in God. He was religious and upstanding. No doubt he was “good” in the eyes of many. We don’t necessarily have to find arrogance in his response. It may have been a fact—he was a godly young man. Now was he perfect? No—there’s never been a person, other than Jesus, who has perfectly kept God’s law! But outward obedience to God’s commands was what this man and others strived for and what others could see. What could not be seen, however, was what was in his heart. But the Savior COULD look into his heart and therein lay the problem. So did Jesus beat him over the head with his law? Did he point the big Jesus finger at him and scream “SINNER!” in his face? Not at all. Mark’s gospel tells us that Jesus looked at him and loved him (10:21). It’s interesting that Jesus paid close attention to him and felt love for him in his heart. That meant he had to say things to him that were difficult to hear. Perhaps there’s a reminder there for us because Jesus calls us to do the same for each other. The way Jesus reached out to the man’s heart was to call him to action. Doing outward works was what this man was all about. He was under the impression that these were the kinds of things that save a person. So Jesus told him to do something: “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.” The rich young ruler lacked one thing. What was it? Was it the outward action of sharing his wealth with others that Jesus encouraged? Had he not given enough away and helped enough needy people? Actually, no. It was a lack of love for God above all things. Even if he had done “all the right things”, his heart was not properly motivated. Jesus’ encouragement was an answer, but not THE answer. Jesus was trying to lead him to an understanding with this first response, but THE answer was still to come.
What happened to the man? He went away sad. Was it because he had wealth that he was sad? No, just the opposite. His wealth made him happy—more happy than God made him. He served wealth above God. Jesus knew the man’s heart and what got in the way of totally loving and trusting God. For him it was money and stuff, just like it sometimes is with us. The man’s question was, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus couldn’t even get to the answer with the man. He threw out one command to the wealthy young man and he walked away. Jesus never meant to imply that the man had been perfect to this point or that if he would just do this one thing, then he would have earned heaven. Jesus looked at him and loved him. He knew his heart and he knew what he had to teach that day. If the young man wouldn’t stick around to hear the final answer, there were others who would. To those who were there, Jesus said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” Let’s be very clear about what God says and how he feels. God does not say that wealth is wrong, nor does he say that it is impossible for a rich person to be saved. God gives riches, and people of varying degrees of wealth have been faithful followers of the Lord—you can see lots of examples in Scripture. But how hard it is for a rich person to get into heaven, Jesus says! It is because many times, they have the problem this young man had—they serve wealth above God. Those who were there, including the disciples, were amazed by this. Maybe we are too, but the warning is right on the money, so to speak! You can work for and pray for wealth, but you better be sure to pray for wisdom and a heart that knows and manages God’s gifts well, because it is not easy to keep money and possessions in their proper place. Don’t get prideful when you hear about this rich young man, thinking that you would have done so much better in heart or action. It may not be so. As that man needed to repent over serving material things above God, so do we. As that man needed to repent over not keeping God in his proper first-place position, so do we. As that man needed to repent over thinking that he was living in a way that would earn his salvation, so do we. When Jesus said that it is easier for the largest animal in all of Palestine to go through the smallest opening than for a rich man to get into heaven—everyone who heard it, including the disciples were amazed at what he said, according to the other gospel writers. They couldn’t believe what Jesus was saying. They threw up their hands and cried, “Who then can be saved?”
If we just think about our sins for a moment, we can see that like that young man, we cannot earn heaven by our outward behavior and way of life—no matter how “good” we think we are. When our Lord sets the expectation that The Believer Serves God Above All Else and that we be perfect in this, we too throw up our hands and cry “Who then can be saved?” I mean, if this man, who lived such a squeaky clean, righteous life, couldn’t be saved by his godly living, how do any of us stand a chance? Then we’re right back where we started. We’re back to the big question: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Here is the answer: Our salvation requires intervention. What we cannot do, God can do…and has done…and will do! I sure hope that rich young guy was moping around close enough to hear Jesus give to those who stuck around, the amazing answer to that big question: What is impossible with man is possible with God. It is impossible for us to save ourselves, but salvation is totally possible with God! That is why the Father sent his Son into the world—to save sinners. At the end of his earthly life, as he hung on the cross, Jesus could actually say that he had kept all of God’s commands his entire life. Impossible for us to do; totally possible for Jesus to do. As he died on the cross, he paid for the rich young man’s failings of life and heart. He paid for the sins of the disciples who had a little more discussion with Jesus after this as Peter dared to remind Jesus that they had left everything to follow him. He paid for you and me to have salvation too. Jesus served the Father, and he served us. How are we saved? How do we obtain eternal life? The big question has an answer that is so simple: we don’t do anything; Jesus has done it all as he served you. Believe that that is true! It seems that the rich young ruler stopped listening before he could get his answer. It is my prayer that you will never walk away from Jesus as he tells you the wonderful thing he has done for you—he has brought you, a sinner, into his grace and has prepared eternal life for you in heaven. May you praise him both with your heart and with your life. That’s what a believer does—The Believer Serves God Above All Else because of what God has done for them. And one other thought—keep in mind that everyone asks the question that young man asked Jesus, and you have the answer. Look at people and love them like Jesus did and give them the good news. Amen. Now the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
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. 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.” 26 Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?” 27 Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” 18