The Rich Young Ruler: Seeking Eternal Life
?A ruler came running to Jesus and kneeled to him. He asked Jesus, "Good Master, what must I do to receive eternal life?" In Matthew's account, the ruler phrased the question slightly differently: "Good Master, what good thing must I do that I may inherit eternal life?"
A Focus on Action and Self?
The young ruler's question centered around action – What can I DO to enter Heaven? However, it also placed emphasis on self – What can I do by my own power and my own strength to reach heaven? Is there something I can do to earn or deserve it? Unfortunately, there is no action that makes us deserve Heaven.
Jesus Responds: None Good?
In response, Jesus asked, "Why do you call me good? There is none good but one, that is, God."
According to Romans 3:12 and Psalm 14:3, not a single person is righteous or does good.
In his first response, Jesus appears to be going off-topic. However, he is actually addressing the central point of the ruler's question - "What can I DO to earn my entrance into heaven?" While we might believe there are good deeds we can do to gain entry, the truth is that none of us are inherently good. No matter what we do, we aren’t worthy to enter Heaven.
None does good, no not one. (Romans 3:12, Psalm 14:3) All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) We are all like sheep; we’ve gone astray: everyone has turned to his own way. (Isaiah 53:6)
Jesus Responds on a Personal Level
Jesus had already answered the question on the young ruler’s heart. There is nothing you can DO to enter Heaven. He could have left it at that, but he must have wanted to make sure the young ruler understood on a personal level. “If you want to enter into eternal life, keep the commandments. You know them.” Jesus quoted the commandments that related to our interactions with others. Exodus 20
Do not commit adultery (7th)
Do not kill (6th)
Do not steal (8th)
Do not bear false witness (9th)
Do not cheat or defraud (Leviticus 19:13)
Honor your father and mother (5th)
?These are the commandments that typically define whether we are "good" people or not, since they pertain to how we treat others. To break these commandments is to act wrongly or mistreat others.
It IS possible to keep these commandments in practice. The Bible describes some as "upright in all their ways (actions)." Does this mean they were without sin? No, it doesn’t. Just because we treat others well, fairly, and with consideration doesn't mean we're without sin. Don't be deceived by surface appearances. Don’t deceive yourself.
The young ruler said he had upheld all of these commandments since his youth. In the eyes of man, he was a “good” person.
This story responds to the question of our own sin. Did people tell the young ruler he was a good person? Probably. Perhaps he was puzzled as to why he didn't "feel" good despite trying to live a good life.
The Answer is Not Action or Self
The young ruler knew something was lacking in his life. He still felt a sense of emptiness. He may have been struggling with the fact that material possessions and earthly achievements do not bring fulfillment and true happiness.
The young man asked Jesus, “What do I still lack?”
Jesus saw through the man's exterior and recognized that he had a deep-rooted issue that needed to be addressed. He took the encounter to a deeper level and spoke specifically about the young ruler's life. He answered, “If you would be perfect, go and sell what you have and give to the poor, then you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, take up the cross, and follow me.”
When the young man heard this, he went away sorrowful, because he had great possessions.
Jesus said to his disciples, “How hard it is for those who TRUST IN RICHES to enter into the kingdom of God!”
Although, Jesus told the rich young ruler to DO something, the action would not make the man worthy of eternal life. By taking this step, the obstacle that prevented him from fully trusting in God would be eliminated.
The Significance of this Biblical Story
This story reminds us that the greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. Mathew 22:37, Mark 10:27
It also reveals that material possessions and worldly success are not the key to true fulfillment. Rather, it is through building a relationship with God that we can experience genuine joy and peace. Although it's important to lead a virtuous life and adhere to God's commandments, we cannot depend solely on these things to achieve ultimate contentment. Rather, we should strive to strengthen our bond with God and have faith in His purpose for our lives.
This story also highlights the fact that we are still sinful even though we don’t behave badly. It's important to remember that we have all sinned. We sin in three ways.
— Sins of Commission: Doing something that God doesn’t want us to do.
When we think about sinning, we usually think of these particular sins. These are the ones that we observe in others and use to determine if they are bad people. Conversely, we use the lack of these sins to determine if we consider ourselves to be good people.
— Sins of Omission: Failure to act in accordance with God's will
In other words, they are the outcomes of inaction. “To him who knows to do good and doesn’t do it, to him it is sin.” James 4:17
— Sins of the Heart: Doing something “in your heart” that God doesn’t want you to do. These could be thoughts, imaginations, or fantasies that go against what is right in the eyes of God.
The Bible gives us examples of sins of the heart:
— Don’t covet what your neighbor has: his house, his wife, his servants, his animals, or anything that belongs to your neighbor. (10th commandment)
— Jesus said, “Whoever looks on a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Matthew 5:28
— Whoever hates his brother is a murderer… 1 John 3:15
— The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it? Jeremiah 17:9
Admit you’re a sinner. Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord. Believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead. And you will be saved. Romans 10:9
Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Romans 10:13
