The Gospel of Mark 10:17-27
20 And he said to Him, “Teacher, I
have kept all these things from my youth up.”21 And looking at him, Jesus loved
him and said to him, “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give
to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”22 But
at these words, he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who
owned much property.
23 And Jesus, looking around, said to His disciples, “How hard it will be
for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!”24 And the disciples
were amazed at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children,
how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!25 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 they were even more
astonished, saying to Him, “Then who can be saved?”27 Looking at them, Jesus
said, “With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are
possible with God.”
Jesus
gathered His disciples and set out on a journey from Peter’s house in Capernaum
toward Jerusalem. A man ran up to Him and knelt before Him. This man is
described as a ruler in Luke’s gospel and by his question to Jesus, “Good
Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” we can deduce that he
believes in eternal life.
The
Pharisees believe in eternal life, which is opposed by the Sadducees who deny
resurrection after death. Being ruler, he holds some significance within the
community. He also displays an eagerness to truly know what good He can do to
attain eternal life. And in his address to Jesus honors Him by bowing to one
knee and using a common title for teachers, “Good Teacher.”
“Jesus said
to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the
commandments, ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear
false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’”
“Christ
would have him mean thereby, that he looked upon him to be God, since
there is none good but one, that is God, who is one, and
his name one, Zech. 14:9. Our English word God doubtless has
an affinity with good; as the Hebrews name God by his
power, Elohim, the strong God; so we by his goodness, the good
God.” (Matthew Poole)
Jesus encourages
the man of wealth by listing the second table of the Ten Commandments including
“Do Not Fraud” which is a rule of justice shown towards one’s neighbor be they
native or sojourner. And with confidence, the young ruler said to Him,
“Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up.”
Jesus loved
this man and looked at him. His love was in the obedience of this young rich
man to God. That he would endeavor to keep the law and be blessed. For as Samuel
said to Saul “Has Yahweh as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as
in obeying the voice of Yahweh? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and
to heed than the fat of rams.” (1 Samuel 15:22)
Jesus said
to the young ruler, “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and
give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
His challenge then comes from the first tablet of the Ten Commandments and the
greatest law, love God with all your heart, mind, strength, and spirit and put
nothing before Him, that is idolatry.
“But at
these words, the Ruler was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one
who owned much property.” It’s not that he was rich, for Yahweh is not a
respecter of man that He would favor the rich or the poor. It was the heart of
the man for he trusted in his wealth. One cannot love God and mammon. This man
chose his money and rejected Jesus.
This reminds
me of the four soils when Jesus taught in the parable that some of the seed
fell on shallow soil the plants grew and seemed to flourish, but when trial
came it withered and died because it had no roots. The young man’s roots, his faith,
were built on his works and that was not enough to gain eternal life.
Jesus was looking
around, and said to His disciples, “How hard it will be for those who are
wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!” For one is generally sustained with
wealth. What need does a wealthy man have? Or what does it profit a man to gain
the whole world and lose his soul? The disciples were amazed at His words.
But Jesus
answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter 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 the kingdom of God.” But they have ever so little, if they
set their hearts upon that little, and place their happiness in it, it will
keep them from Christ.
“In the case
of the Eye of the Needle, some say is a small gate in Jerusalem, a rich man
cannot get to heaven unless he is willing to part with the burden of his
worldly wealth and stoop to the duties of a humble religion, and so enter at
the strait gate.
And for the
camel, sometimes signifies a cable rope, which, though not to be got through a
needle’s eye. The rich man must be loosed and disentangled from his riches, and
then there is some hope of him, that thread by thread he may be got through the
eye of the needle, otherwise, he is good for nothing but to cast anchor in the
earth.” (Matthew Henry)
And they
were even more astonished, saying to Him, “Then who can be saved?” Who? In
John’s Gospel, John comments, “But as many as received Jesus, to them Yahweh
gave the right to become His children, even to those who believe in His name,
who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of
man, but of God.” (John 1:12-13) Man cannot save himself from his own sin.
One’s
ancestry cannot save them just because they are born from Abraham doesn’t mean
your heart is of Abraham. Nor can the works of your flesh. As I spoke last
week, the work your hands do, the places your feet stand, or the things you see
cannot redeem you from your shame. Like our first parents, covering yourself
with flimsy leaves won’t cover your shame. And finally, one does not willfully choose
God, for a person’s will is corrupted by inherited sin. No one inherently seeks
after God. Instead, they often flee from Him or seek alternatives to fulfill
their desires and needs. The prophet Isaiah writes, “The fallen man is a
fugitive; he’s not seeking after God”
“But of
God.” Looking at them, Jesus said, “With people it is impossible, but
not with God; for all things are possible with God.” People cannot save
themselves because they trust more in what’s immediate and in their pocket than
in God. The irony of this astounds me. The triune God is the creator of the
universe and owns everything. A person is far richer in Jesus than one who
trusts in his own things.
As a people
we trust in other people, our hope is in man, or sword, or wealth, or power. We
trust in the physical, and the material, and have no hope. We trust the
philosophers, the soothsayers, and our desperately wicked hearts rather than
God.
But God is
good and a wonderful savior and nothing is impossible with God, all things are
in fact possible with Him because of who He is. He is faithful and His love
endures forever. He is Holy, Holy, Holy, and His glory fills the earth. He is a
mighty strong tower of refuge, and He runs to the lost son with joyful songs
and prepares a feast for him. He is my savior, and it is His delight to give
His flock the kingdom.
Jesus came
to save sinners. Sinners suppress the truth and hide in their darkness because
they love darkness. They are unbelieving, vile, foolish, rebellious, haters of
God who have adopted the ideologies of this world and the doctrines of men.
They have become slaves to their sexual desires, perverting the flesh and mind,
and rebelling against the created order of God. They are doomed to condemnation
and will be judged by Jesus and sent to Hell where they will burn for eternity
in the lake of fire.
However, God
so loved His creation, mankind, that He sent His Son Jesus, who can forgive you
of your sins and redeem you because He has the authority and power. Jesus
brings eternal life to all who repent and believe. For Jesus bore all our sins;
He bore all the sins of all who believe in Him. Jesus was born and lived a
perfect life of obedience to God as a man. Jesus was condemned to be executed
and die in the sinner's place. He suffered the totality of God's wrath upon
Himself on the Cross, which every sinner deserves, so that those who believe in
Jesus may have peace with God.
Jesus rose from the dead, conquering death, and lives, and ascended to the right hand of God the Father. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and He is in your midst with us offering you salvation, repent, and believe Jesus.
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