Luke 18:18-43

The Rich Young Ruler

Verses 18-23......Jesus has been teaching about persistent prayer! Prayer in light of the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ. Many things will be happening in those times (now). Apostasy, persecution, unbelief, and troubles will be all over. We are seeing some of this today, if not all of these. Our prayers is for the Father to avenge His faithful and to keep us (sinners) during this time. Helping us to trust in Him.

Then Jesus tells a parable about 2 men praying, one praying prideful, the other praying humbly! The humble prayer “be merciful to me the sinner” is the one that went to his house justified.

This is our persistent prayer. I believe the whole idea from Jesus is that we must be humble and realize that we need God, just as the tax collector prayed!

Now just by happenstance, there is an encounter with a rich young ruler. No, this wasn’t happenstance, this was a divine appointment.

Let’s look at a few things first.......

He was young, possibly 25-40 years old

He was a ruler of a synagogue.

To be a ruler as a young man was not normal. This man must of been of high character. We know he was rich, so, he must have had influence.

He was extremely rich.

Some say this was probably family money. Not for certain, but his possessions were great and if they were lost it would effect his whole family.

Putting those things together, we have a pretty good guy approaching Jesus. How he approaches Him is interesting and to see that let’s parallel the different accounts.

Mark’s account has him running to Jesus and kneeling.

This has an impression of desperation.

For a ruler to do this would of been way out of character, especially it being Jesus he ran to.

The question..........One commentator put it this way:

I. The question itself was of supreme importance. 2. The question was a personal one. 3. The question was put at an interesting period of life. 4. The question was put by one who possessed an abundance of riches. 5. The question was put with feelings of great modesty and respect. 6. The question was put with great sincerity and earnestness of spirit.

Let’s get the greeting dealt with...... “Good Master”......People have looked into this and nowhere in Jewish tradition do you hear or read of any leader, teacher, or anyone referred to in a salutation as “good”. To the Jews “good’ was reserved only for God.

Jesus then asks him, why did he call Him good? No body is good except God, which the ruler would of known full well. Basically, this is what Jesus is saying by this, “why do you call Me good, when you believe there is no one good but God? Do you believe I am God?”

This used to mess me up, but now I get it. God is good and so is Jesus because He is God the Son, evidently this man had believed that!

The question:...................... Eternal life.....This man was missing something......He couldn’t put his finger on it, but there was something missing.

The idea of eternal life cannot be brought down to a simple “living forever” thought. It is way greater than that, living forever with God. One writer believed that this ruler knew he was missing this relationship with the Father. He seemed to try and do all the things right, but there was something missing. It was evident by his haste to get to the Good Master.

6. Jesus brings up the commandments! Some say breaking evangelizing 101. Not so, Jesus knew this man’s heart before he even got to Him. Jesus’ aim was to expose ignorance, self-righteousness, and insincerity, in one whom the spectators were doubtless admiring for his apparent devotion. 1. The man was ignorant of Christ’s real character. 2. He expected life as the reward of his own merit. 3. He was not sincerely willing to sacrifice anything for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. So He gave him the law.

a. It seems from the young man’s response that he felt qualified for Heaven. Jesus knew he wasn’t and so exposed his heart! Jesus exposed what the man really loved!

7. Jesus said “one thing you lack”, in Matthew’s acct. the ruler asked what he lacked. He knew there was something missing!

8. Jesus gets to his heart, sell all that you have and give it to the poor! Now, does this mean that we have to sell everything in order to inherit eternal life? NO!

a. Again, Jesus exposed his heart. In order to get to the truth of this divine meeting, let us look at someone that seemed to be somewhat in the same boat as this rich, young ruler......Paul......Philippians 3:3-6......

i. The last word there “blameless”. This is how the young man thought of himself and Paul also thought of himself.

ii. Romans 7:9 (KJV 1900) “For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.”

iii. He doesn’t mean an ignorance or lack of concern for the law, but a purely external, imperfect conception of the law.

iv. When he realized that he was dead spiritually (inwardly), he began to look elsewhere...... Paul had an encounter with Jesus and his problem with the law was revealed.

b. The young man ran into Jesus too, but there is a stark contrast in his response verses Paul’s response.....

c. Philippians 3:7-11..... This is the perfect response to God and Jesus, our relationship with God and Christ is one where nothing else matters and you are willing to give up everything or whatever to be near the Father in Christ!

d. The contrast is the man knew that the inheritance of eternal life was not going to be his. The trust in his possessions was greater than his desire for God (following Christ)! It is hard to rely on God completely when you are relying on your good works and earthly possessions!

i. The demand is seems great and the devil has done a good job of painting a picture of this world, that is hard to let go of. Are you willing to follow Jesus anywhere are you willing to abandon all that you have to follow Jesus!

ii. The young man’s family would have disowned him if he sold all that he had and followed Jesus.

Verses 24-30.....Jesus then remarks as the young man walked away sad.....”How difficult it is.....for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God!”

As hard as it would be to thread an actual camel through the eye of a sewing needle. Some have tried to minimize this statement by Jesus, so to give a little relief to rich folks, some thing by camel Jesus meant camel hair. I have even used this about a gate called a needle gate in Jerusalem, but it turns out that this gate was about 10 yards from the entrance gate. Jesus meant exactly what He said!

It stirred the disciples up and they asked who then can be saved? “The admission of human impossibility, however, opens the door to divine possibility: “What is impossible with human beings is possible with God.”

Peter said to Jesus that they have left all and they truly have.

The Gospel according to Luke The Kingdom and the Well-Possessed (18:18–30)

those who forsake homes and family for Christ receive from Christ many times more than what they forsake (v. 30; Job 42:12). Many Christians have experienced in Christian fellowship and churches the families they never experienced in their birth homes. “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us”

i. In Matthew 19:28 “And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

ii. Jesus is speaking of their reward and it is referring to the Millennial Reign of Christ

Verses 31-34....Jesus tells them what is next and actually what He has given up.....They didn’t understand it......

Verses 35-43.......Jericho in the OT was destroyed but rebuilt very near to the original place.

a. Luke tells us that they were coming nigh to Jericho, Matt. and Mark say that they are departing. Luke could just simply be stating that they entered and passing through.

b. You see in the parallel Gospels, that there were 2 blind men and this one spoke for both. Mark actually names the speaker of the two. Bartimeus.

c. When he heard that Jesus of Nazareth passes by, he began to cry out “Jesus, Son of David”, he didn’t say “Jesus of Nazareth”, he called Jesus by His Messianic title! What Bartimeus knew as Jesus Messianic prophecy.

i. Interestingly, they tried to stop him but he cried the much more. Leading us back to the beginning of the chapter, the persistent prayer!

d. Blindness was very common back then for many reasons, STD’s, sandy conditions, etc.

i. When a blind man was healed, that was pretty hard to refute.

e. Mark’s acct. has the blind man throwing his garments to the side and running to Jesus when Jesus told him to come.

f. His faith saved them, the other accts. has “made him whole”, but that simply means saves.

g. Luke is the only Gospel writer that includes the crowd praising God!

h. The blind men followed Jesus and glorified Him.

Matthew 19:16–22 (KJV 1900)

16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? 17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. 18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, 19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? 21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.

Mark 10:17–22 (KJV 1900)

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? 18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. 19 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. 20 And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. 21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. 22 And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.

Luke 18:18–23 (KJV 1900)

18 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 19 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God. 20 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. 21 And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up. 22 Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. 23 And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.

Matthew 20:29–34 (KJV 1900)

29 And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him. 30 And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. 31 And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. 32 And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you? 33 They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. 34 So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.

Mark 10:46–52 (KJV 1900)

46 And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging. 47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. 48 And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me. 49 And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee. 50 And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. 51 And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. 52 And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.

Luke 18:35–43 (KJV 1900)

35 And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging: 36 And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant. 37 And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by. 38 And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. 39 And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me. 40 And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him, 41 Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. 42 And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee. 43 And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.