A Conversation With A Rich Young Man

There is an obvious reason for that, we generally talk to people our own age because we feel that we have something in common with them.

For example, I can listen to young people talk and they are talking about singers, athletes and entertainers I never heard of. So naturally, if they want to talk to me about such people, I don’t know what to say because I do not know the people they know.

We refer to this problem as a generation gap. Because of this situation, we all prefer to talk to people of our age level and social level.

But in our text, we find a young rich man that approached the Lord, and we do not see a generation gap or a social gap in their conversation in the slightest.

Each day the Lord walked on this earth, He was on a scouting expedition looking for men and women who would follow Him.

This young man seemed to be the ideal candidate. Jesus sees great possibilities in partnering with each one of us. He says: “Come follow me…”

This young man seemed to be a very good candidate:

• He is sincere in his questions

• He is decent and upstanding

• He is respectful, even humble

But, Jesus saw something in his heart that disqualified him from being a follower of His.

This young man that came running to the Lord and knelt before the Lord got his attention. The Lord looked at him, and notice, the Bible says, “Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him…”

Before the Lord said a word to him, the Bible tells us He looked at him and He loved Him. The Lord never met a sinner that He did not love. He does not love their sins, but He loves them!

Perhaps he got his wealth through an inheritance, notice, when he comes to the Lord he wanted to know what could do to inherit eternal life.

This young man told him what a good life he had lived and how he had lived it, but Jesus said, “One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.”

IS THE LORD TEACHING THAT A PERSON CANNOT HAVE WEALTH AND GO TO HEAVEN?

No! Some of the greatest men of God in the Bible were very rich. Such as:

• Abraham was a very wealthy man

• Job was a very wealthy man

• Solomon was a very wealthy man

There is nothing sinful about being wealthy.

BUT HERE IS THE PROBLEM - this young man not only had wealth, BUT HIS WEALTH ALSO HAD HIM. The Lord knew this was the situation in his life, and that is why the Lord told him he would need to get rid of this god in his life.

Nowhere else in the Scripture does the Lord tell any other rich people they must get rid of their wealth. Notice, after the conversation where the Lord told him he would have to get rid of his wealth, the Bible says he sadly walked away.

It was then that the Lord had a conversation with the disciples about this young man. In verses 23-25, we read, “And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”

Look at the word “astonished” in verse 24, this means they were “stupefied” about what he said.

WHAT WAS IS IT THAT THEY DID NOT UNDERSTAND? The Lord just told them that it would be hard for a rich man to go to heaven. He said, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”

You and I know that a camel cannot go through the eye of a household needle. So if that be the case no rich person could enter heaven. But is it believed that the Lord was referring to a passage in a mountain area known as the “Eye of the needle.” In that day they would often load the backs of the camels. When they arrived at this place referred to as the eye of the needle, the camel could go through this small hole. But before a camel could go through, the pack on the back of the camel had to be removed, and the camel would literally have to get on its knees and crawl through.