Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro: What matters more, the material or the immaterial?

(more substantial, more trustworthy and certain) What kind of wealth ought we to pursue?

Application: Pursuing … The American Dream (comfort and self-expression in this life) vs.

The Glory of Christ (eternal purpose in this life and perfect rest in eternity)

The eyes of faith perceive greater value in God than anything this world can offer.

[Transition] (cf.

Matt 19, Mark 10)

[where we’re headed…] … two parts to our passage…

A Rich Young Ruler’s Quest (vv.

18-23)

This young man (Matt tells us he is young) is clearly religiously pious and an active/useful member of society.

Luke informs us that he’s a ruler, probably meaning not that he’s a member of the ruling religious body, the Sanhedrin, or a ruler in the local synagogue (both of which ruler can sometimes mean)—that is unlikely in his youth.

“He’s probably an influential wealthy man or civic leader....” (Bock, 1476)

This young, wealthy, civic leader’s…

This man’s question to Jesus seems admirable.

“Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

The request is about knowing for sure what it takes to be saved in the final resurrection, to share in the life of the coming world, the eternal kingdom of God.

And respectfully calling Jesus good sounds good too.

… Not so fast.

Jesus responds in a way that exposes his lack of faith.

1.

To the young man calling him Good Teacher: (Jews typically understood that sometimes people can be good, but that no one is truly good in comparison to God… so pious Jews didn’t even refer to their Rabbi’s this way as being “good”) So it seems to me that Jesus may be pushing back against this man’s flattery.

Jesus intends that he should understand the implications of what he says.

Secondly (and this is the important underlying thrust as Jesus continues the lesson), if only God is good, then he is the holy standard by which you must measure your piety.

Jesus isn’t denying his own goodness, but likely he is rejecting the ruler’s attempt at flattery, and certainly he wants to shift the man’s focus to the perfection of God and his will.

2. Jesus knowingly addresses this pious man’s expectation that he can be righteous by keeping the law (and therefore merit the inheritance of eternal life.

Ironically, an inheritance in not earned).

Jesus doesn’t list all 10 commandments (only 5), and not in exact order, and the five are primarily social (dealing with the second table of the law) ***

… as opposed to the first table which is more aimed at the covenant community’s responsibility to God directly (no gods before me, no graven image/idols, do not use my name in inappropriate ways (calling upon God’s name in prayer for worthless purposes, trying to use God’s name as magic to get what you want, etc.), sabbath day each week set apart to rest and reflect on God’s creating work and rescuing them from Egypt… - 5th commandment, which Jesus mentions last, is sort of bridge between the two tables of the law — Honor your parents, because they are responsible to instruct you in the faith (Deut 6:7).

The overall point is that the audience is supposed to know these commandments well and be mindful that Jesus isn’t limiting expectation on this young man to only these specific laws.

Why then these ones?

Most likely because he’s reasonably able to say he kept these.

Not perfectly of course, but in a primary sense he and other devout Jews could say “All these I have kept from my youth.”

Ah, but that isn’t enough, Jesus says.

Sell everything (rich man) and give it to people who have need, and come, follow me.

Why does Jesus do this?

Is he giving the man a higher standard to follow that will allow him to earn salvation?

Of course, we must realize, as students of the New Testament, that Jesus isn’t saying that keeping the law will save him (even at its highest standard).

Although this is all coming out in a conversation, the argument Jesus seems to be making is this: 1.

Only God is perfectly good.

2.

Even those who believe, as you do, that you are keeping the law fairly well, fall short of having a pure heart that honors God above everything else.

(In this case, the man has placed his wealth and comfort above God, thereby breaking the first commandment that forms the foundation for the rest: don’t have any other gods before me.) 3.

Your inability to keep the law should make you turn to Christ.

The only recourse to inherit eternal life is to follow Jesus.

The rich young ruler’s quest ends in disappointment.

- Why is he sad after this?

He wants to have it all in this life plus eternal life.

- Here we find the great danger that keeps so many at the wide gate and on the broad road, that prevents many from entering into saving faith that leads to eternal life: clinging to things of lesser value and clinging to control over one’s own life.

To follow Jesus, the rich young ruler must repent of his love of wealth and see God himself as the supreme value he ought to treasure.

In fact, faith (a trusting relationship with God) was always what God intended: That was true with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, Daniel… Eve, Sarah, Rahab, Ruth, Deborah… and all others who sincerely belong to God.

Now during the era of Moses when God brought Israel out of Egypt and formalized his covenant with them as his chosen community, giving them the law, it didn’t change the fact that faith (a trusting relationship) was what he wanted.

Individuals would still not inherit eternal life simply by virtue of being Jewish, but by faith in God.

What do we learn in the New Covenant that makes it possible for faith to be the only thing sufficient for righteousness (even for Abraham, even for Adam… even for Mary, the mother of Jesus… even for you)?

It was the gift of God, the God-Man Jesus Christ, who came not only to lead people to repent and turn to God, but to be the very means by which God remains holy and just, but forgives and restores sinners by grace through faith.

I never grow tired of explaining how the gospel of God fits together, because God has saved ME by his grace.

How does he do that?

How can one be saved?

How can one inherit eternal life?

That’s the question the disciples will also ask after Jesus gives them an illustration of difficulty flowing from this man’s response.

Jesus discusses the man’s decision with the disciples.

Followup Discussion With the Disciples (vv.

24-30)

We know that Jesus turns to his disciples at this point because Matthew tells us so.

(Matt 19, Mark 10) Jesus expresses to them directly how difficult it is for those who have earthly wealth to enter the kingdom.

…So hard in fact, that it’s like trying to squeeze a camel through the eye of a needle… and yes, Jesus means for it to sound that ridiculous.

The hyperbole is on purpose.

(And no, he doesn’t mean some gate with a small door as some try to suggest.)

He really means it can’t be done, and that’s how the disciples take it.

“Who then can be saved?”

Before we explain how Jesus answers that, let’s camp out for a second on the problem that the wealthy have that makes it so difficult to place their faith in God alone.

Here’s the crux of the problem: a trust in self rather than God.

The rich trust in their riches.

(And that isn’t the only kind of wealth to be considered.)

The powerful trust in their power and influence.

The intelligent trust in their intellect.

The beautiful trust in their beauty (external attractiveness).

Those with unique physical ability or artistic talent trust in their strength and skill.

The religious trust in their own righteousness.

But what is required to is to stop trusting in man or material and trust only in God.

To trust only in God is to see that it’s all mercy and grace for him to rescue, for him to save, for him to make us his own and give us his eternal inheritance.

Trust in self is a false security.

(whether it be wealth or righteous works) Trust in God.

There is no other faithful foundation.

Now the question raised in the disciples’ minds is this: if the wealthy can scarcely enter the kingdom, who can?

They betray here the common wrong thinking of their culture, that the wealthy are probably more righteous and are therefore being blessed by God, plus they have the advantage of being able to give more, and so on.

So who can merit the kingdom, who can be saved?

Jesus answers:

It is God who makes salvation possible.

It is all grace for God to do what is needed so that we can be saved.

It is God who sent Jesus to accomplish what is necessary: to be perfect humanity, to die as substitute for sin, to propitiate the righteous wrath of God, to rise again in power, and to send the Spirit to give birth to the church.

And it is God who regenerates a person to grant spiritual life.

Even faith is a gift from God. (Eph 2:8-9)

Impossible for man, yes, but not for God.

— Zacheus, 19:1-10, is just such an example, that God can save even the wealthy.

A camel can’t fit through the eye of a needle, but God can change a rich and selfish tax collector so much that he’s ready to change everything to follow Jesus.

Of course, Zacheus is far from being the only example of such miraculous grace of God in the hearts of men.

But Peter, wanting to make sure that he and his fellow disciples are among the few for whom God is doing the impossible says, but we have done what the rich ruler would not do, “we have left our homes and followed you.”

Yes…

By God’s grace, some leave all to follow Jesus.

This is not to say that we are to forsake our responsibilities and loved ones.

The New Testament has much to say to the contrary.

(That’s probably obvious, but if you have doubts about that, let’s talk later and at examples from Ephesians 5 & 6.)

But the point is that God graciously choses and enables so that some do forsake all else to follow Jesus.