"The Rich Young Man" Matthew 19b Feb 23 2025

And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

(Pray…)

Three Accounts, One Story

In one sense, I can hear the anguish in this man’s question:

“Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”

The title “Teacher” was used commonly by the scribes and the Pharisees when they addressed Jesus

But the disciples also used it

For instance, when Jesus was asleep in the boat during the storm and the disciples woke him up: “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” Mk 4:38

There are three accounts of this story of the Rich Young Man - Matt, Mark, and Luke

There’s kind of a lot of differences between all three accounts - because they all come from different writers with different perspectives

Today, we’ll be looking at this story through the eyes of Matthew

When security suspects a married couple going through customs - they will often move the couple into separate rooms to interrogate

They will ask certain basic questions of each person:

Tell me about your first date

What’s your spouse’s favorite food

Tell me about your last vacation, etc

And if each person gives exact answers, it will actually draw much more suspicion

But if their answers generally align with each other with small variances, suspicion is usually removed

That’s because everyone has a different perspective and a different version of the same story

It’s possible for every eye-witness to tell the truth, but in their own version

This is the same for the Gospels - four different eye-witnesses, but the same truth is told

There are variances, but no contradictions

In Mark for example: the rich man starts off with “Good Teacher.”

In Matthew’s account it’s, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”

What is Good?

Jesus breaks it down to the basics

He seems to go to what is most fundamental about the man’s question

At first, I am sympathetic to this man

The man is looking for Jesus to give him a quantitative, empirical answer:

“Just tell me the good thing I need to do for eternal life - then I’ll be on my way”

“I don’t need a sermon or a lesson right now - just answer my question and I’ll get out of your hair.”

Jesus first answers the man by getting a little philosophical about the man’s use of the word, “good.”

“Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good.”

Jesus then begins to question this man’s motive - and eventually exposes him

I’ve heard this story preached many times

The big takeaway is usually about how the man made eternal life about what he should do in order to enter eternal life

“What good deed must I do...”

…but we know that it’s all grace and that we‘re not saved by our own good works

And the sermon usually concludes that the man was about good works, but Jesus is about grace

And this is all true - we are saved by grace through faith and not of our works

But remember, when this exchange in Matt 19 took place, the OT Law was still in effect

I want to draw a different application

Let me make it clear - Jesus was not implying that salvation is found by keeping the Law

I think there’s more here than simply saying this man was about the Law, and Jesus was about grace

But let’s keep going with the rest of this conversation

Keep the Commandments

Jesus first gets philosophical, but then he dials it back a little

He then gives a straightforward answer:

“If you want to enter eternal life, keep the commandments”

That’s a straightforward answer

I’ve often wondered what would happen if right then, the man shook Jesus’ hand, said, “thank you,” and walked off

But that’s not what happened

After Jesus says, “keep the commandments,” the man asks a follow-up question - “Which ones?”

“Oh yeah? Out of the entire list of 613 commandments, Jesus - can you give me the required list for me to get my ticket to heaven?”

Jesus then gives him six, five are from the Ten Commandments and he gives him a bonus one from Leviticus*:

You shall not murder

You shall not commit adultery

You shall not steal

You shall not bear false witness

Honor your father and mother

*Love your neighbor as yourself

Now, I have mixed feelings for what the man says next

He acknowledges that he’s kept all of these commandments

This is where some people are critical that the man said this

That no one is able to perfectly keep the law - and the man was being arrogant

But I don’t think he was actually trying to say that he was literally perfect

I think in general terms, he was acknowledging that he kept the law

It would not be out of the ordinary to recognize a devout Jewish person as one who keeps the commandments

In the book of Job, for example, the Lord himself said that Job was a “blameless and upright man.”

We don’t take that to mean that Job was totally sinless, and completely perfect

Paul also claimed to be blameless (Phil 3:6) - which must be held in proper context, especially given the fact that he also regarded himself as “chief of sinners” (1 Tim 1:15)

People today think the “gotcha” moment in this story is that the man thought he was perfect and Jesus proved that he wasn’t

I don’t think the heart of this story is about keeping the law

Selling your possessions and giving it all to the poor was not in the Mosaic law as a specific command

I think there’s a deeper meaning to this story

Jesus revealed this man’s heart

This story is about faith - and having faith in Jesus

Let’s continue the conversation

I do admire the man to a point

He doesn’t just say, “I’ve kept all these commandments - I’m good,” and then walk away

There’s still something unsettled in his spirit

And then he asks Jesus another follow-up, “What do I still lack?”

To his credit, the man was asking Jesus probing questions

This is like asking your boss the question, “what do I need to accomplish before I’m done with my shift?”

and it’s almost 10:00 at night -

And you’re trying to finish up so you can go home for the weekend

And your boss gives you a list of what you need to accomplish - and you say, “Yup, I’ve done all of that.”

But at the risk of staying even later, you throw in, “Is there anything else I can do before I go home and spend time with my family for Christmas?”

You ask your boss probing questions at the risk of having to stay at work even later

And Jesus, knowing this man was wealthy, says:

“Well, there’s just one more thing - sell all of your possessions, give it all to the poor.”

And right here is where it is revealed what this story is all about

In verse 22 it tells us that the man went away sad, “for he had great possessions.”

And this is where many Christians say something like:

“Well I’m glad I’m not rich - I’m just a poor, simple follower of Christ”

“Why couldn’t that guy just sell everything for Jesus - after all, we’re talking about eternal life”

“Yeah, it’s so hard for the rich to enter God’s kingdom - harder than a camel to go through the eye of a needle”

The man’s ability to keep the Law was not in question

What was in question was the one thing the man could not give up

Anything we are not willing to give up for the Lord is an idol

This man was unwilling to give up his possessions

And if he was unwilling to give them up and follow Jesus and worship him, then his possessions were an idol

It would have been different if Jesus had exposed the truth about his possessions -

And the man said, “Lord I struggle with holding on to my possessions - please help me!”

At least in his struggle, he would be looking to Jesus for help

He didn’t say anything like that -

Jesus said sell your stuff - and you’ll have all the stuff you want in heaven - now come and follow me

But then the guy walked away…without saying anything

He allowed the conversation to end right there because he felt his possessions were not up for negotiation

If you feel that something in your life cannot be given up for the Lord, because you think it’s not up for negotiation,

...then you’re not truly following Jesus

Come, Follow Me

When I first began to study for this sermon I was bothered by the fact that the three Gospels seem to differ so much about this story

Then I noticed something

All three Gospel accounts of this story differ in several ways - but they all end with the same refrain, exactly, Greek word for Greek word (Matt 19:21, Mk 10:21, Lk 18:22) -

Look at the end of verse 21

“and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

Surprisingly this repeated statement usually goes largely unnoticed

Even the commentaries I use failed to mention this phrase

The fact that this exact Greek wording is used across all three Gospel accounts is remarkable

In some of my previous sermons on Matthew - I’m fascinated with Matthew’s use of the verb, “come.” - and the various types of Greek verbs that are used

And Matthew likes to use a particular Greek word to indicate an intimacy with those who come to Jesus

But verse 21 - “…and come, follow me,” Matthew introduces us to a new form of the verb

It’s the first mention of this verb in the NT

The Greek is deuro

It carries a sense of urgency - it literally means “come here!”

It’s the same verb as in John 11:43 - “Lazarus, come out!”

Jesus is telling this rich man to follow him right now

“and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

“...and come, follow me immediately!”

It’s after Jesus gives this command that the man walked away sad

In the end, Jesus literally answers this man’s questions directly

Jesus tells him exactly how to obtain eternal life - that he would have eternal treasure in heaven and to follow him right now

But the man says nothing and rejects him

Do you remember what Jesus said in Matt 16:24?

Jesus lays down the groundwork on how to follow him

Matthew 16:24 ESV

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Let’s apply this to the Rich Young Man

The man’s wealth in itself wasn’t the problem

Jesus saw this man’s wealth was essentially his identity

His wealth was his crutch in life

Telling the man to sell all of his possessions and give to the poor, was the same as saying, “deny yourself and take up your cross”

The man became sad because he ultimately knew in his heart that he was unwilling to deny himself

I believe this is what this story is all about

This story is about faith

Remember what I said earlier, based on Eph 2 -

We are saved by grace, through _______?

Through faith

Jesus never said anything different from what Paul said - and Paul echoed the teachings of Jesus

If you want to follow Jesus, you need to deny yourself and take up your cross

Essentially, that’s like saying, repent, admit that your way is getting you nowhere -

And put your faith in Jesus

Believe in Jesus

Believe in Jesus to the point that you trust him with your life

And we are saved by grace through that faith

This is the essence of becoming a Christian

Way more than just walking down an aisle and saying a prayer

Please listen to me - I’m not opposed to walking down an aisle after a sermon

I’m saying that unless your heart is repentant -

And unless you believe and trust in Jesus with your whole life -

Then walking down an aisle is just burning calories

This rich man faced a challenge common to the wealthy: it's hard to deny oneself and take up one's cross when you have so much

Jesus provides for him the solution -

Sell your possessions

Then you’ll have eternal possessions

And follow me!

And do it now!

Merely having things is not the issue

But his wealth not only provided security but Jesus perceived that it also defined his identity.

Selling his possessions would have felt like losing himself—which Jesus effectively asked him to do

The lesson here isn't that all rich people must give up all possessions to obtain salvation—

this is not a universal instruction for us to be saved

you don’t need to be poor in order to go to heaven

If this was the main message, then selling your possessions would be another legalistic thing to do

But in context with Matt 16:24, it reinforces the idea of self-denial

The man could follow the law handily, but he couldn't give up his worldly possessions to follow Jesus because he saw them as part of himself.

Here’s my application for this story:

Before you cross your arms and say, “I’m not rich - I’m good”

This lesson holds particular relevance for contemporary Western living -

where most of us enjoy vast luxuries compared to poorer countries around the world

Think of your life compared with First Century living

We live in modern homes, drive modern cars, we have health insurance and retirement savings, and possess an abundant amount of computer power in our pockets

Our lives today are a stark contrast to life in the First Century

Can’t pay your taxes? Hire an attorney

Going blind? Get cataract surgery

Can’t afford a new car? Just get car payments

Can’t afford a new house? Get a mortgage

I’m not being critical - I’m pointing out that we have so much at our fingertips

While Jesus may not be asking us to give up these amenities, our need for him can easily be cloaked behind these comforts

“I don’t need Jesus - I’m good in life”

“I don’t need healing - my doctor is awesome”

“Why do I need Christianity - I have everything at my fingertips”

“I’m not in need of your prophet who lived 2,000 years ago”

The key here for us is to be willing to do anything to follow Jesus

This includes repenting of our current sinful life because we realize that ultimately our ways are not the answer—

and to fully trust Jesus to the point that we would now follow him

This story challenges the reader to question their very identity -

that which they have leaned on their whole life

If there was ever a society that resembled the attitude of the Rich Young Man, it is ours!

This story is not just about the rich man - it’s about us

You can’t believe what people tell me when I share the Gospel with them

People justify themselves because we live in a sophisticated society that no longer needs religion

Why would anyone see their need for Jesus?

Because they’re self-sufficient

The story of The Rich Young Man is for unbelievers and believers

Don’t just check out when you hear this story

Every one of us should pray to God - “Lord, what do you want me to learn from this story?”

The question is - what are you holding on in life?

- do you see your need for Jesus everyday?

Is he your daily bread?

Are you willing to deny yourself everyday and follow Jesus? Right now?

Jesus actually gave the man assurance about his wealth -

He said if you give everything to the poor - your treasure will be in heaven!

For all eternity

Closing

Jesus ends this chapter by saying, “But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

But this man wanted to be first by his own standards

Only God can put us first, not us

Man always puts himself first (our life of sin) - this is why we need to deny ourselves

The Rich Man refused to deny himself - and the default is why he become last

He could not see his need for Jesus

Denying ourselves means to put our entire life aside - and look to Jesus for our needs

In the end, he will make us first - only God can put us first

Bottom line - everyone needs Jesus

But with everything going for us in this modern world, how hard is it for us to see our need for Jesus?

Much less, be willing to give up everything for him?

And what do we do with our sin?

All of us come to the table with a sin problem

The reason we need Jesus is because he died for our sins

That’s how big our sin problem was

That the Son of God had to die for our sins

I want to bring out a small section in the middle of this chapter

Starting in verse 13 -

Matthew 19:13–15 ESV

Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” And he laid his hands on them and went away.

Jesus also said, “whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it” [Mark 10:15]

How does the kingdom of heaven belong to little children and apparently not to the rich man who followed the Law?

I think it’s not too hard to figure it out

Children are aware that they are in need

A child does not over-analyze things

A child hasn’t yet developed self-pride which keeps a lot of adults from following Jesus

After the rich man walks off, Jesus turns to his disciples and tells them that,

It is only with difficulty that a rich man will enter the kingdom of heaven

And the disciples threw up their hands and said,

“If that’s true, who then can be saved??”

Jesus: “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

As I close,

Let’s quickly go back to the conversation between Jesus and this Rich Young Man

It’s a series of back and forth interaction

The man asks a question - Jesus answers - the man probes more - Jesus answers - and the man probes once more, “What do I still lack?”

And Jesus says something very interesting

He says, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor...”

What’s interesting is that the man never asked how to be perfect

Let me ask you - do you remember when the Bible says that our sins are like filthy rags?

It doesn’t say that, does it? It says that our righteousness is like filthy rags

All the good things we can muster up - all our ability to follow the law - it’s all disgusting to God

If...that’s what we’re relying on

Jesus is telling this man that perfection can only come through faith in him

We are justified by faith

When we believe in Christ and put our faith in him alone -

Jesus not only takes away our sins

But he gives us his righteousness

We obtain perfection only through Jesus, who is perfect

That’s what Jesus was telling his disciples

That it’s hard for a rich man to see their need for Jesus - because in their eyes, they have it all

Ever since sin entered the world, salvation, and a right relationship with God has been impossible

There is nothing we can do to get ourselves right with God on our own

Only through Jesus, is it possible to be set right with God - and to enjoy him forever

This is the message of the Rich Young Man

Give up whatever you need to give up

Receive God’s kingdom like a child

Place your faith in Jesus, and in him alone

And you will have eternal treasure - and follow Jesus - now!

Today, have you surrendered all to Jesus?

The Lord is probably not asking you to sell all your possessions and give to the poor

But are you willing to put Jesus #1 in your life and trust him with your whole life?

And yes, God wants us to walk in holiness and obedience

But we can never be perfect without the righteousness of Jesus

(Pray…)

(This morning, are you like the Rich Man? In the final analysis, is your own identity based on what you do? Or is your identity found in Jesus? Are you willing to deny yourself and follow Jesus?)

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