18 Now a
certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit
eternal life?” 19 So Jesus
said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is
good but One, that is, God. 20 You
know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not
steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your
mother.’ ” 21 And he said, “All these things I have kept from my
youth.” 22 So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and
distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow
Me.” 23 But when
he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich. 24 And when
Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, “How
hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For
it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man
to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 And those
who heard it said, “Who then can be saved?” 27 But He
said, “The things which are impossible with men are
possible with God.”
Commentary
Vs. 18 Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus having told us that we all must receive the Kingdom of God as little children (trusting in who God is, and what He says about Himself and His Son, and what He says in order to enter it), now is approached by a certain ruler who was both a powerful and rich man. This man then having heard Jesus teaching now asks Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Now by his question the ruler thought that salvation was something that someone earned for themselves, as well he thought that salvation was something that could be “personalized”, that for one who was powerful and rich and influential like himself something could be required, while for someone else something else could be required by God. And so, his opening question to the Lord Jesus Christ, which though born out of an honest inquiry, was only plagued with bias and presumptions both about himself, and those whom he thought he could attain salvation for himself from. Thus, in him we do not yet see the capacity to receive the Kingdom of God as a little child. For he was still looking to who he was, and what he could do, to attain salvation for himself. When salvation requires that we all only look to God and who He is and what He can (has done) do to save us.
Vs. 19-22 19 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. 20 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ” 21 And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.” 22 So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
Now in responding to the ruler’s inquiry, Jesus first asks him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.” It appears then that the ruler had a very wrong perception about himself (and specifically others in general). For in calling Jesus good teacher, he only reveals what he already felt about himself, and those whom he would seek salvation from, (this becomes clear when he tells Jesus that he has kept all of God’s commandments from his youth, and thus he does not yet see himself as a sinner in need of the grace of God. Thus, Jesus in responding to him must first correct him and tell him that, “No one is good but One, that is, God.” For Jesus coming in the flesh as the Son of Man did not do so because humanity was good! Whether individually or collectively, He did so because, “all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23)! The Lord Jesus Christ then having corrected the rulers wrong understanding about the fundamental nature of people, that we are not fundamentally good, but flawed, because of sin which indwells us all. Now begins to answer his question about what he must do to inherit eternal life. Now we know that no one inherits eternal life, as if it only comes to “good people”, or those who believe that they descended from the same. Nor does eternal life come by one doing good works or deeds in trying to earn it for themselves (Rom. 4:4-5), rather eternal life is the gift of God which only comes by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ Crucified and Risen from the dead, so that we might have remission of all our sins, the moment we believe in Him. All which requires a conviction of sin on our part, of having sinned and thus in need of the salvation of God. And so, in answering him, the Lord Jesus Christ first tells the ruler to kept the commandments of God, specifically mentioning five of the commandments that have to do with our duty to our fellow persons. And so, Jesus says to him, You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ”
Now when the ruler heard Jesus recite several of the commandments, saying that he must keep them, he immediately said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.” Vs. 21 Thus the ruler by so quickly and confidently asserting as much did not see himself as having sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. For he believed he had kept them, and yet when one considers that all the commandments of God are sum up in loving God with all of ones heart, soul, and strength, and loving ones neighbor as oneself, anyone can easily see by viewing unbiasedly both themselves, and world in which we live, that no one has kept the Law! Now when Jesus heard the rulers reply, (and thus his confidence in himself and what he had done) He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” Vs. 22
And so in saying as much the Lord Jesus Christ now tests the ruler as to whether in seeking to earn salvation for himself, he would be willing to pay what to him would’ve been the “highest” price, and that is give up all of his cherished possessions by selling them all and distributing the proceeds to the poor, which would garner him treasures in heaven, and then having done so forsake his rulership, and come and follow the Lord Jesus Christ in discipleship. For basically those were the two things that were underlining that man’s self-sufficient attitude and defining his life, his wealth and his elite stature, both of which were only keeping him from seeing himself as he really was, a sinner who was dead in his own sins and transgressions, incapable of redeeming or saving himself through the Law or anything else.
Vs. 23 “But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.”
And so, like all who seek to earn or purchase salvation for themselves, the price always becomes too high for them to pay, because they will always have something that they cherish more than it. And in that ruler’s case it was his wealth. Which is why those who are poor (and not just materially) but who are poor in spirit (Matt. 5:3) are said to be the citizens of the Kingdom of God because being poor in spirit one has already lost everything. Receiving the Kingdom of God by God’s grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ than is very easy and exceedingly enriching for everyone who sees their need and repents and believes!
Vs. 24-27 24 And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 And those who heard it said, “Who then can be saved?” 27 But He said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”
Now when Jesus saw that ruler became sorrowful at the prospect of having to redistribute his wealth and forgo his life if he wanted to follow Him, He said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Now in saying as much the Lord Jesus is revealing just how powerful the grasp of wealth can be on one’s person and life. For it not only forms and forges one’s values, but it can by its very deceitful nature keep one who trusts in it from the Kingdom of God, as the ruler just revealed! And so, when the disciples then heard Jesus say that it is “…easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Vs. 24-25 They were astonished! because their beliefs at that time were that riches were the favor/blessing of God on one’s person and life, which clearly is not always the case, (consider Job 21:7-34; Psalm 17:14; 73; Jer. 12:1-2 etc.). Therefore, if a rich person (who they assumed to already have the favor of God) could not be saved, (again a presumption of their part) the disciples now ask Jesus who can? And so, in stroke of brilliance the Lord Jesus now says, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” Thus, where men see impossibilities to someone’s salvation, God sees a way. For that is the history of not only the nation of Israel, but of believing humanity, of God not only working and interceding at crucial times on our behalf, but also and very timely moving and working to redirect us back home towards Himself! For it is God Himself who not only sets the stage for human history to unfold, but also for us individually, He sets about (or works in the midst) of our circumstances, so that we might seek and find Him. Therefore, our salvation is fully and wholly dependent upon God, who saves the “unsavable” by His Gracious Work done for us all, through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ Crucified and Risen from the dead. Selling all you have then and giving it to poor does not get you salvation, (though it may open your heart to receive it), as if it could be purchased. Rather believing in the Lord Jesus Christ Crucified and Risen from the dead does! For that is what God requires of us all, to repent and believe in His Son, so that we might have remission of all our sins and everlasting life! (Mark 1:15; John 3:16). Everything else than that we do is only because of our faith in Jesus Christ. And with that said, Jesus will now address how the sacrifices that we make for Him will be rewarded both now and eternally.
Scripture Quotations
Commentary
Vs. 18 Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus having told us that we all must receive the Kingdom of God as little children (trusting in who God is, and what He says about Himself and His Son, and what He says in order to enter it), now is approached by a certain ruler who was both a powerful and rich man. This man then having heard Jesus teaching now asks Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Now by his question the ruler thought that salvation was something that someone earned for themselves, as well he thought that salvation was something that could be “personalized”, that for one who was powerful and rich and influential like himself something could be required, while for someone else something else could be required by God. And so, his opening question to the Lord Jesus Christ, which though born out of an honest inquiry, was only plagued with bias and presumptions both about himself, and those whom he thought he could attain salvation for himself from. Thus, in him we do not yet see the capacity to receive the Kingdom of God as a little child. For he was still looking to who he was, and what he could do, to attain salvation for himself. When salvation requires that we all only look to God and who He is and what He can (has done) do to save us.
Vs. 19-22 19 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. 20 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ” 21 And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.” 22 So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
Now in responding to the ruler’s inquiry, Jesus first asks him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.” It appears then that the ruler had a very wrong perception about himself (and specifically others in general). For in calling Jesus good teacher, he only reveals what he already felt about himself, and those whom he would seek salvation from, (this becomes clear when he tells Jesus that he has kept all of God’s commandments from his youth, and thus he does not yet see himself as a sinner in need of the grace of God. Thus, Jesus in responding to him must first correct him and tell him that, “No one is good but One, that is, God.” For Jesus coming in the flesh as the Son of Man did not do so because humanity was good! Whether individually or collectively, He did so because, “all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23)! The Lord Jesus Christ then having corrected the rulers wrong understanding about the fundamental nature of people, that we are not fundamentally good, but flawed, because of sin which indwells us all. Now begins to answer his question about what he must do to inherit eternal life. Now we know that no one inherits eternal life, as if it only comes to “good people”, or those who believe that they descended from the same. Nor does eternal life come by one doing good works or deeds in trying to earn it for themselves (Rom. 4:4-5), rather eternal life is the gift of God which only comes by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ Crucified and Risen from the dead, so that we might have remission of all our sins, the moment we believe in Him. All which requires a conviction of sin on our part, of having sinned and thus in need of the salvation of God. And so, in answering him, the Lord Jesus Christ first tells the ruler to kept the commandments of God, specifically mentioning five of the commandments that have to do with our duty to our fellow persons. And so, Jesus says to him, You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ”
Now when the ruler heard Jesus recite several of the commandments, saying that he must keep them, he immediately said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.” Vs. 21 Thus the ruler by so quickly and confidently asserting as much did not see himself as having sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. For he believed he had kept them, and yet when one considers that all the commandments of God are sum up in loving God with all of ones heart, soul, and strength, and loving ones neighbor as oneself, anyone can easily see by viewing unbiasedly both themselves, and world in which we live, that no one has kept the Law! Now when Jesus heard the rulers reply, (and thus his confidence in himself and what he had done) He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” Vs. 22
And so in saying as much the Lord Jesus Christ now tests the ruler as to whether in seeking to earn salvation for himself, he would be willing to pay what to him would’ve been the “highest” price, and that is give up all of his cherished possessions by selling them all and distributing the proceeds to the poor, which would garner him treasures in heaven, and then having done so forsake his rulership, and come and follow the Lord Jesus Christ in discipleship. For basically those were the two things that were underlining that man’s self-sufficient attitude and defining his life, his wealth and his elite stature, both of which were only keeping him from seeing himself as he really was, a sinner who was dead in his own sins and transgressions, incapable of redeeming or saving himself through the Law or anything else.
Vs. 23 “But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.”
And so, like all who seek to earn or purchase salvation for themselves, the price always becomes too high for them to pay, because they will always have something that they cherish more than it. And in that ruler’s case it was his wealth. Which is why those who are poor (and not just materially) but who are poor in spirit (Matt. 5:3) are said to be the citizens of the Kingdom of God because being poor in spirit one has already lost everything. Receiving the Kingdom of God by God’s grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ than is very easy and exceedingly enriching for everyone who sees their need and repents and believes!
Vs. 24-27 24 And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 And those who heard it said, “Who then can be saved?” 27 But He said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”
Now when Jesus saw that ruler became sorrowful at the prospect of having to redistribute his wealth and forgo his life if he wanted to follow Him, He said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Now in saying as much the Lord Jesus is revealing just how powerful the grasp of wealth can be on one’s person and life. For it not only forms and forges one’s values, but it can by its very deceitful nature keep one who trusts in it from the Kingdom of God, as the ruler just revealed! And so, when the disciples then heard Jesus say that it is “…easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Vs. 24-25 They were astonished! because their beliefs at that time were that riches were the favor/blessing of God on one’s person and life, which clearly is not always the case, (consider Job 21:7-34; Psalm 17:14; 73; Jer. 12:1-2 etc.). Therefore, if a rich person (who they assumed to already have the favor of God) could not be saved, (again a presumption of their part) the disciples now ask Jesus who can? And so, in stroke of brilliance the Lord Jesus now says, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” Thus, where men see impossibilities to someone’s salvation, God sees a way. For that is the history of not only the nation of Israel, but of believing humanity, of God not only working and interceding at crucial times on our behalf, but also and very timely moving and working to redirect us back home towards Himself! For it is God Himself who not only sets the stage for human history to unfold, but also for us individually, He sets about (or works in the midst) of our circumstances, so that we might seek and find Him. Therefore, our salvation is fully and wholly dependent upon God, who saves the “unsavable” by His Gracious Work done for us all, through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ Crucified and Risen from the dead. Selling all you have then and giving it to poor does not get you salvation, (though it may open your heart to receive it), as if it could be purchased. Rather believing in the Lord Jesus Christ Crucified and Risen from the dead does! For that is what God requires of us all, to repent and believe in His Son, so that we might have remission of all our sins and everlasting life! (Mark 1:15; John 3:16). Everything else than that we do is only because of our faith in Jesus Christ. And with that said, Jesus will now address how the sacrifices that we make for Him will be rewarded both now and eternally.
Scripture Quotations
New King James Version (1982): Thomas Nelson
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