The Wednesday of the Sixteenth Week after Trinity
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The so-called Rich Young Ruler of today’s Gospel text illustrates an important lesson, namely that we are all plagued by self-righteousness. The difference is that this man was honest about his self-righteousness. The young man approaches our Lord and asks what he must do to receive eternal life. The question, although misguided in its focus on self, is not all bad. The desire to receive eternal life is admirable. And the instinct to inquire of the Christ for answers on this topic is likewise commendable. When told that he must keep the commandments, the young man’s question of “Which ones?” is also not a bad one. Obviously, this man knows the Scriptures well enough to be aware of the hundreds of commandments laid out by Moses. And so, he seeks clarity regarding which commandments our Lord was speaking about. The Lord’s answer then delineates man’s responsibility toward his neighbor according to the second table of the law:
“You shall not murder,” “You shall not commit adultery,” You shall not steal,” You shall not bear false witness,” Honor your father and your mother,” and, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 19:18-19).
It is at this point that Christians typically miss what the Holy Spirit would have us see. The young man responds:
“All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?” (Matthew 19:20).
“Aha,” we are quick to exclaim, “The young man is as theologically misguided as he is dishonest! How could he claim to have kept the law perfectly?” But let us not jump to conclusions so quickly, lest our zeal for the truth cause us to miss what is happening. Contrary to what it may seem, the young man is being honest here, though he is incorrect. This is because there can be a difference between being right and being honest. “Did you enjoy the dinner that I made you?” and “Do you want to clean your room?” are both questions with only one right answer even when that answer may not be the honest one. See, we must commend the young man for answering our Lord honestly. He says, “I have kept the second table of the law perfectly.” And in his mind, this is, no doubt, true. He is not seeking to mislead anyone. He is simply stating what he believes to be true. Whether or not his idea of the truth matches God’s expectations in the Commandments is another question entirely. But the young man is honest in expressing his heart and belief.
How often do we do the exact opposite? We come to church and confess that we are a poor, miserable sinner who justly deserves God’s temporal and eternal punishment. And then we turn around the rest of the week and have the audacity to pretend as if we cannot be wrong. It’s my way or the highway. And when we have a disagreement with someone, we automatically assume that we are in the right and the other person is in the wrong. In church we confess our sins, and in Bible class we are eager to reiterate that everyone is a sinner. We know and admit that we are sinners in theory, but in reality, we are reluctant to admit wrongdoing.
But the young man in the Gospel text is both honest and consistent in what he says about himself. He doesn’t see his shortcomings. His ill-informed conscience truly believes that he has kept the second table of the law perfectly. And so, our Lord gives him a challenge which will cause the rubber to meet the road:
“If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me” (Matthew 19:21).
It is love which causes Christ to challenge the young man in this way (cf. Mark 10:21) because the law must crush a man before he can come to believe the gospel. And so it is for all of us. Through the law, Christ teaches us to despair of self so that we can learn to depend upon Him. This young man believed that he kept the second table of the law perfectly. So, Christ confronts him with the First Commandment. “Give away all your numerous possessions. Put away your idols, and you will have treasure in heaven. For in this you will learn to despair of yourself and to depend fully upon Me.”
The exact same exercise would, no doubt, be beneficial for each one of us. After all, the exercise of leaving behind all earthly goods is the end of life in this world (cf. 1 Timothy 6:7). But there are other exercises which would be just as appropriate. Perhaps we would do just as well to challenge ourselves to be as honest and consistent as the young man in our Gospel text. If we are going to confess in church that we are a sinner, then we ought to live as if that is true. Maybe we could start by forcing ourselves to confess out loud a specific wrongdoing at least once a day. If we can’t say to another person, “I was wrong, I’m sorry,” then we can at least admit it to the Lord. He knows the truth whether we say it or not. But when we cause sin to remain an abstraction in our lives, we end up missing out on the grace which Christ desires to give. But when we take the time to confess our specific wrongdoings, Christ’s grace and mercy is offered to us afresh. For Christ did not suffer and die so that you could despise His grace by admitting your sins in the abstract while failing to take accountability in reality. He has suffered and died for the poor, miserable sinner who confesses his sins every day and who despairs of his own ability to keep the commandments perfectly.
May God the Holy Spirit grant us the strength and humility to be honest about our sinfulness, to confess our sins freely, and to receive Christ’s grace afresh each and every day.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
