Money Isn't Everything: A Wealthy Young Guy Meets Jesus Face To Face Series

"In 1928 a group of the world's most successful financiers met at the Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago. The following were present: The president of the largest utility company, The greatest wheat speculator, The president of the New York Stock Exchange, A member of the President's Cabinet, The greatest "bear" in Wall Street, The president of the Bank of International Settlements, The head of the world's greatest monopoly. Collectively, these tycoons controlled more wealth than there was in the U.S. Treasury, and for years newspapers and magazines had been printing their success stories and urging the youth of the nation to follow their examples. Twenty-five years later, this is what had happened to these men:

The president of the largest independent steel company, Charles Schwab, lived on borrowed money the last five years of his life and died broke.

The greatest wheat speculator, Arthur Cutten, died abroad, insolvent.

The president of the New York Stock Exchange, Richard Whitney, served a term in Sing Sing Prison.

The member of the President's Cabinet, Albert Fall, was pardoned from prison so he could die at home.

The greatest "bear" in Wall Street, Jesse Livermore, committed suicide.

The president of the Bank of International Settlements, Leon Fraser, committed suicide.

The head of the world's greatest monopoly, Ivar Drueger, committed suicide.

All of these men had learned how to make money, but not one of them had learned how to live."

-Source Unknown.

Money isn’t everything. In fact here are some of the things the wealthiest people in history have said about their wealth…

“I have made many millions, but they have brought me no happiness” -John W. Rockefeller

"I have had no real gratification or enjoyment of any sort more than my neighbor on the next block who is worth only half a million.” –W.H. Vanderbilt

“Money has never made man happy, nor will it, there is nothing in its nature to produce happiness. The more of it one has the more one wants.”– Benjamin Franklin

“I was happier when doing a mechanic's job” -Henry Ford

“Millionaires seldom smile” -Andrew Carnegie

-Source Unknown.

Here today we examine one of the most famous events in the entire Bible, the historical encounter between a wealthy young man and Jesus Christ the savior of the universe.

It says this in verse 17, “17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

The young man falls on his knees before Jesus. He is overcome by his presence, he is amazed, and excited to meet Jesus, this God-man who is changing everything. And he asks him a very, very, very important question: How do I get eternal life?

He calls Jesus the good teacher. And asks him, what do I gotta do to get saved?

Here’s how Jesus responds:

18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’”

Jesus cites 5 of the ten commandments here. Do not murder is #6, do not commit adultery is #7, do not steal is #8, do not bear false witness is #9, you shall not defraud is not one of the ten commandments, and honor your father and mother is #5.

So this is kind of odd. Jesus cites 6 through 9. Then adds one that isn’t on the list, skips #10 and goes back and mentions #5. Additionally, he doesn’t mention 1 through 4 at all. And he adds one, do not defraud.

Jesus is setting up the young man, because Jesus knows all things. He already knows what is going on in the young man’s heart.

#10 is do not covet. Do not lust after things you can’t have. Don’t greatly desire what someone else has. Don’t desire whats out there in general. And my guess is, perhaps in his mind, the rich young man had switched that with “do not defraud” he loved his money, he coveted it, but, maybe he justified it in his mind by saying “don’t defraud someone is good enough.”

That’s just a guess, I don’t know for certain.

It’s also interesting that Jesus rebukes him for calling him good. Surely if anyone in the universe deserves to be called good it’s Jesus right? But I again, I’m speculating, maybe the rich young man thought to himself that if I just try hard enough, I can be as good as Jesus. And perhaps Jesus is correcting him to say no one can “try to be good” and be good enough. Only God is good and only God can make us good. No one can obtain it by their own actions or by trying harder.