ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!
Luke 18:18-30
By Cleavon Matthews
June 2004
INTRODUCTION
He is mentioned by all three of the synoptic writers. Matthew describes him as a young man. Luke calls him a ruler and all three agree he is amazingly rich. His encounter with Jesus has been discussed and debated throughout the centuries. He is quite arguably one of the few men ever to fall at the feet of Jesus and leave in a worse condition than when he first came.
In the course of giving serious study to the elements of this man and his tragic talk with Jesus I begin trying to build a bridge from his ancient world to our contemporary world. Perhaps in the exegetical and hermeneutical analysis there was some profound truth to help men living in this time and place to be saved, satisfied, and successful. I was looking for something in the text to inform and inspire men to view life not from the impossible but rather through the possible! I was searching for something to connect and register with men not just on a feeling level but on a faith level.
There is nothing more devastating to a society and community than to have its men hopeless, aimless, and destroyed. When Pharaoh wanted to extend the tyranny of bondage for Israel and increase their subjection he issued an order to kill all the male children. We live in a time when men are targets, especially minorities! Therefore in order to reach men we must go beyond their muscle and into their heart and spirit.
In order to achieve and obtain the impossible the spirit of God and the spirit of man must meet! Listen to Paul: “But as it is written, eye hath not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:9-14).
In this rich young ruler the spirit of man meets with the spirit of God but he walks away because he cannot discern the possible. He can only see what appears to be impossible. We have the ministry of reconciliation. We must have the objective of arranging the meeting between the spirit of man and the spirit of God. Yes, without question we must seek to arrange this meeting between….
The finite and The Infinite
The created and the Creator
The condemned and the Comforter
The sinful and the Sinless
The wounded and the Healer
The shattered and the Savior
The defeated and the Deliverer
The judged and the Judge
The lost and the Redeemer
The crushed and the Captain
The miserable and the Merciful
The victimized and the Victor
The limited and the Limitless
The poor and the Rich
When God’s spirit connects with a man’s spirit he can begin to understand the things that are freely given to him of God. He can see the impossible. He can see what eyes, hath not seen. He can hear what ears have not heard. He can perceive things that have not entered into the heart of man. He can experience the things God has prepared for him. He can begin to understand the deep things of God!
When you meet a man whose spirit has connected to God’s spirit there is this born again affect! Paul put this way: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Cor 5:17). He is a new creation. He is a new man. He has and he is putting off fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affections, evil concupiscence, covetousness, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication, and lying (Col 3:5-9). For this new man old things are passed away! He may look the same in his outward appearance. He will still need eyeglasses. He will still be balding or grey headed. He will still be short of stature. He will still be thin or thick. But in his spirit he is a new man! His lust has been replaced with love. His jiving has been replaced with joy. His perversion has been replaced with peace. His lewdness has been replaced with longsuffering. His greed has been replaced with gentleness. His guilt has been replaced with goodness. His fraudulence has been replaced with faith. His malignity has been replaced with meekness and his treachery has been replaced with temperance!
Like most men the rich young ruler is seeking confirmation rather than conversion! He needs to belong. He needs to be accepted. He is after verification from Jesus that his person is acceptable to God. His objective has nothing to do with conversion. However whenever a man has a true spiritual encounter with the Lord not only does he receive confirmation but conversion is also the intended direct result of this meeting.
I.THE RICH YOUNG RULER IS IMPRESSIVE
Luke 18:18-21 “And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? None is good, save one, that is God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother. And he said, all these have I kept from my youth up.”
This man has impressive credentials. His is a ruler. In Greek he is an archon. An archon is one with a prominent position in which he exercises authority. It refers to all kinds of Jewish and Roman officials. Undoubtedly there are people who serve under him. He obviously has a great deal of authority to direct and influence others. Inspite of his power in regards to other men his power is uselessness in a relationship with God! The Lord told Zerubbabel its not by might nor by power but by my spirit says the Lord of hosts (Zechariah 4:6).
He was very rich. He had great possessions. He was a man with tremendous wealth but he was not satisfied. Paul said “for we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out” (1 Timothy 6:7). Jeremiah said don’t let the rich man glory in his riches (9:23). “Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivers from death” (Pro 11:4).
He was young. He apparently had achieved success at a young age. He was virulent. He was strong. He apparently had many good days ahead. “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them” (Eccl 12:1).
He was moral. He never took another man’s wife to bed. He never put another man to death. He never took anything that did not belong to him. He never gave false witness. He never defrauded or cheated anyone. He always honored his mother and father. He was not the type of man to run the streets or mistreat anyone. He was not a foul mouth. He was not an abuser. He was not a drunkard. He was not a gambler. He was not a club hopper. But his morality could not save him! His morality is impressive! However Jesus was not looking for a prerequisite! In many cases morality may initially be missing but after man’s spirit meets God’s spirit morality becomes a product!
He is religious. He is an adherent to the Jewish Religion. He attends the Synagogue. He keeps the Jewish Feasts. It doesn’t get any better than this. He is the catch of the century for any Jewish maiden. After all he is a powerful man, he has plenty of money, he is young, he has good morals and on top of that he is religious! Please notice however that religion did not save him. James 1:26 “If any man among you seem to be religious and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.”
He is sincere. He means well. He wants to inherit eternal life. He is not trying to play a trick on Jesus. He is not attempting to entrap the Lord. He is sincere. Sincerity does not save. Sincerity achieves nothing if one is not willingly to trust and obey the word of God.
II.THE RICH YOUNG RULER IS INQUISITIVE
Mark 10:17 “And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running and kneeled to him and asked him Good Master what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”
He came to the right person, He asked the right question but made the wrong decision. He came to Jesus. He asked what was necessary to inherit eternal life. He must be given credit because he did not take it upon himself to either assume or presume to have the answer. Peter said to the Lord on one occasion: “…Lord to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life?” Jesus has the words of eternal life! Jesus said in John 12:46-48 “I am come a light into a dark world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day.”
If you want to know about sports you can call Bob Costas. If you want to know about boxing you call Muhammad Ali. If you want to know about sociology you can call Dr. Cornell West. If you want to know about education and comedy you can call Dr. Bill Cosby. If you want to know about acting you can call Denzell Washington. If you want to know about the law you can call Willie Gary. But if you want to about eternal life you must call on Jesus!
Notice the man referred to Jesus as ‘Good Master.’ Now the Jews didn’t call anybody ‘good’ expect the Lord God. It is yet to be revealed if this rich young ruler really believes Jesus is ‘good.’ If he believes Jesus is the ‘Good Master’ then he will be willing to do whatever Jesus tells him to do! Some people use it as a ‘cliché’ but the Bible tells us without question God is Good!
Psalm 106:1 Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever.
Psalm 86:5 For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
Psalm 34:8 “O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trustheth in him.
Psalm 25:8 “Good and upright is the Lord: therefore will he teach sinners in the way!”
James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variableness neither shadow of turning.”
Romans 8;28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
III.THE RICH YOUNG RULER IS INCOMPLETE
Luke 18:22 “Now when Jesus heard these things he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.”
When Jesus heard the rich young ruler say he had kept all these laws from his youth up, Mark says, ‘Then Jesus beholding him loved him’(10:21). Therefore when Jesus tells him to sell everything and distribute it to the poor and he will have treasure in heaven he is speaking out of love. Now this is not a universal command. Jesus is teaching the rich young ruler about his incompleteness!
Jesus says ‘yet lackest thou one thing.’ Yes you have some impressive credentials. You are rich, young, a ruler, moral, religious, and sincere. But you lack one thing! This man had form but no function. He had intention but no application. He had principle but fell short in practice! He was guilty not of commission but rather of omission. Jesus said to the Pharisees “Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites. For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy and faith: these ought ye to have done and not to leave the other undone” (Matt 23:23).
I find it interesting Jesus doesn’t mention the law of covetousness but this is really at the heart of the rich young ruler’s problem. He did not use his blessings to be a blessing to others. He is guilty of not loving his neighbor as himself. Instead of calling him covetous Jesus asks him to do something that reveals what’s really in his heart.
Watch this Jesus gives him three actions but only one command. Sell everything. Distribute it to the poor. Come follow me. The objective is for this man to follow Jesus. But he can’t follow Jesus unless he is willing to repent. He can’t follow Jesus unless he is willing to lay aside every weight and sin that doth so easily beset him (Hebrews 12:1). In the midst of the command is a promise. If he lets go of this earthly treasure he will have treasure in heaven!
IV.THE RICH YOUNG RULER IS IDOLATROUS
Luke 18:23-25 “And when he heard this he was very sorrowful for he was very rich. And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”
He loved his wealth more than he loved God or neighbor. “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where thieves do not break through nor steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matt 6:19-21).
His mind is centered below and not above. “Charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high-minded nor trust in uncertain riches but in the living God who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life” (1 Tim 6:17-19).
Instead of trusting in the Living God this man was trusting in uncertain riches! Gold was his god. Silver was his savior. Money was his master. The Lord used a literary device we call hyperbole. A hyperbole is ‘a deliberate and obvious exaggeration used for effect.’ “For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” Jesus uses the largest animal in Palestine and the smallest opening in Palestine, which would have been a surgeon’s needle to make this hyperbolic statement.
CLOSING
Luke 18:26-30 “And they that heard it said who then can be saved? And he said, the things which are impossible with men are possible with God. Then Peter said, lo we have left all and followed thee. And he said unto them, verily I say unto you there is no man that hath left house or parents or brethren or wife or children for the kingdom of God’s sake who shall not receive manifold more in this present time and in the world to come life everlasting.”
They said ‘who then can be saved’ because at this time it was believed that wealth was a sign of God’s acceptance and approval. In other words if this man who has found God’s favor in the sense of wealth can’t be saved then nobody can be saved! If this rich, young, ruler who is moral, religious, and sincere can’t be saved then certainly nobody can be saved!
He could have been saved but he couldn’t be saved in that condition! He wanted confirmation rather than conversion. When a man is converted he will receive the confirmation.
There are some things, which are impossible with men. But with God all things are possible. Peter says Lord we can’t say that we are rich, young, or rulers. We can’t say we have kept the law from our youth up. But we have left all to follow you! Lord what can we expect? No man that hath left house, parents, brethren, wife, or children for the kingdom of God’s sake shall be forgotten.
He will receive manifold more in this present time and in the world to come life everlasting! In order to go up you must be willing to give up! You must be willing to give up anything standing between you and the Lord!
If you do your part God is going to do His part!
If you surrender God will save!
If you call God will answer!
If you repent God will forgive!
If you trust and obey God will bless!
If you confess him He will confess you!
If you trust Him He will trust you!
If you honor Him He will help you!
If you praise Him He will protect you!
If you give to Him He will give to you!
If you believe He will bless!
With God All Things Are Possible!
Jeremiah 32:17 “Ah Lord God! Behold thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm and there is nothing too hard for thee.”
He can rebuild ruins
He can restore rubbage
He can reconcile enemies
He can compound courage
He can detour disaster
He can overturn decisions
He can overrule outcomes
He can pacify pains
He can heal hurts
He can see the invisible
He can reach the unreachable
He can obtain the unobtainable
He can move the unmovable
He can achieve the incredible
He can create the spectacular
He can do the unthinkable
He can do the unrepeatable
He can realize the unrealizable
He can bear the unbearable
He can call the inaccessible
He can go near the unapproachable
He can accomplish the unbelievable
He can suggest the implausible
He can conceive the inconceivable
He can complete the improble
He can do the impossible!
