This man who came to Jesus was the perfect evangelistic target. He was ready to sign the car, raise his hand, walk the aisle, or whatever. There was no need to explain to him how we know God exists, why we can trust the Bible, or why we should be concerned about eternity. To the human eye, he looked like the hottest evangelistic prospect the Lord had encountered so far. He was ripe. He was eager. There was no way he would get away without receiving eternal life . . . but he did. In a sense, Jesus drove him away. Why?
This man who sadly left the presence of Jesus without receiving eternal life is often called the rich young ruler. Matthew, Mark, and Luke each tell us about him:
• All three say he was RICH;
• Matthew adds that he was YOUNG;
• Luke says he was a RULER.
I. WHAT THE YOUNG MAN DID RIGHT (v. 16)
A. He Came to the Right Person (v. 16a).
"And, behold, one came. . . ."
The words "and, behold" are an exclamation indicating wonder and amazement. Matthew must have been astonished that this man would seek out Jesus and admit that he needed eternal life.
Jesus is the source of eternal life: ". . . God hath given to us eternal life, and this life in his Son" (1 John 5:11).
Jesus is eternal life: "This is the true God, and eternal life" (1 John 5:20).
"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there in none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
B. He Had the Right Attitude.
He came publicly.
Mark tells that he came running and knelt at Jesus’ feet (Mark 10:17).
Obviously he was desperate for eternal life.
B. He Asked the Right Question (v. 16b).
". . . and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing must I do, that I may have eternal life?"
Some might say that the man’s question was flawed.
There is something we all have to DO to receive eternal life: we have to BELIEVE.
The Philippian jailor asked Paul and Silas, "Sirs, what must I DO to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:30-31).
Had this young man been in an evangelistic service, there would have been no need to sing additional verses of "Just As I Am." He was ready.
What an opportunity! This fellow was eager, seeking, a "can’t-miss" convert. He was young, rich, intelligent, and influential. Think of what he could do for the Lord! He could give his testimony, write a book, and be a large donor to the Christian cause. No evangelist worth his salt would mess up an opportunity like this.
He had come to the right Person, with the right attitude, asking the right question.
II. WHAT THE YOUNG MAN DID WRONG (vv. 17-22)
A. He Did Not Confess His Sinfulness (vv. 17-20).
1. He did not understand that only God is good (v. 17a).
"And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. . . ."
God is good; you are not.
2. He did not understand that no one has kept the commandments (vv. 17b-19).
". . . but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."
What Jesus said is true: If a person was able to keep all of God’s commandments, he would possess eternal life. "Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgements: which if a man do, he shall life in them" (Leviticus 18:5).
Charles Spurgeon said, ". . . on the ground of law, if he would deserve eternal lie as a reward, he must be as good as good, and keep the commandments to perfection. Thus the rugged way of works was set before him; not that he might attempt to win eternal life thereby, but that he might perceive his own shortcomings, and so feel his weakness as to look for salvation by some other method" [Spurgeon’s Popular Exposition of Matthew, p. 162].
Law always precedes grace. "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" (John 1:17).
What is the purpose of God’s law? Romans 3:20 gives us the answer: "By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in [God’s] sight: for BY THE LAW IS THE KNOWLEDGE OF SIN."
"Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all" (James 1:10).
The emphasis in Jesus’ teaching from the beginning had been to define the law in such a way that no one could look at the commandments and feel justified (see Matthew 5:20-48).
3. He did not understand that he had not kept the commandments (v. 20).
"The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?"
There was no way this man could be saved while he clung to his self-righteous attitude. Salvation is not for people who want an emotional lift; it is for sinners who come to God for forgiveness.
B. He Would Not Repent of His Sinfulness (vv. 21-22).
A. W. Tozer said, "I think there is little doubt that the teaching of salvation without [repentance] has lowered the moral standards of the Church and produced a multitude of deceived religious professors who erroneously believe themselves to be saved when in fact they are still in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity [Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations & Quotes, p. 662].
"Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions."
The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20): the first four deal with our relationship to God and the last six deal with our relationship to others. Notice that Jesus only referred to the commandments that deal with our relationship to others. There was one that He did not mention, however— the tenth: "Thou shalt not covet" (v. 17). Jesus knew that covetousness was this man’s heart was filled with covetousness.
In effect, Christ told the young man, "You say you love your neighbor as yourself. OK, give him everything you’ve got. If you really love him as much as you love yourself, that should be no problem."
Jesus was not saying that it is possible to buy eternal life with charity. He was saying, "Here is the test of true faith: Are you willing to do what I want you to do? Are you willing to turn from your sin and follow Me?" By placing Himself alongside the man’s wealth and demanding that he make the choice, our Lord revealed the true state of the young man’s heart.
"Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:33).
This man responded to Jesus very differently that did Zaccheus in Luke 19.
In Matthew 22 we read that Jesus was asked, "Which is the great commandment in the law?" His answer was, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" (vv. 36-39).
The young man’s refusal to submit to Christ demonstrates two realities:
1. He really didn’t love his neighbor as himself;
2. He really didn’t love God with all his heart.
He would not confess that he was a sinner, and he would not repent of these sins.
Matthew 19:23-26
The ill-fated Franklin expedition to the Arctic in 1845 reminds us of the perspective of the rich young ruler and many like him. The preparations made for the expedition were more suitable for the Royal Navy officer’s club in England than for the frigid Arctic. The explorers made room on their ships for a large library, a hand organ, china place settings, cut-glass wine goblets, and sterling silver flatware instead of additional coal for their steam engines. The ornate silver flatware was engraved with the individual officer’s initials and family crests. Search parties found clumps of bodies of men who had set off to walk for help when their supplies ran out. One skeleton wore his fine blue cloth uniform edged with silk braid, hardly a match for the bitter arctic cold. Another apparently chose to carry with him the place setting of sterling silver flatware. What must he have been thinking to take sterling silver tableware in a search for help and food? Once cannot imagine that any of these sailor adventurers would have said, as they neared death on the frozen landscape, "I wish I had brought more silver place settings." Our hanging on to things that are ultimately useless will look no less foolish. Many cannot envision life without things they cherish. They are in danger of losing the only life that counts [taken from David E. Garland, The NIV Application Commentary: Mark, p. 408].
Matthew 16:24-26
CONCLUSION
The rich young ruler went to Jesus in desperation for eternal life, but he left without it.
Why? Because he did not confess his sinfulness, and he would not repent of his sinfulness.
How about you?
Have you ever confessed to God that you are a sinner?
Have you ever experienced genuine repentance over your sin?
If not, you do not have eternal life.
