Mark 10:17 Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”
I preached a little on this a few days ago.
This rich young ruler basically stopped Jesus from going forward on the road that day. His words reveal a lot!
He calls Jesus Good Teacher.
This is a very common idea even today that Jesus was simply a Good Teacher. A lot of people think that Jesus taught many good life lessons and that we should aspire to live out his teachings daily.
Yet Jesus perceived in this young fellow’s greeting an attack of Satan.
This is similar to when Peter tried to stop Jesus from laying down His life for us and Jesus said to him “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” Mk 8:33
Both Peter and the rich young ruler got in the way of Jesus – both represented Satan – opposing Jesus the Spirit Man…with their natural thinking. The natural man does not understand the things of the spirit for they are foolishness to him. Instead the natural man – our carnal mind- opposes the spirit man at every turn.
It will hinder your walk with Jesus and throw up arguments and reasoning and questions to hinder you being led by the Spirit. Jesus was “going out on the road” -presumably to minister for God in the spirit…and straight away the Devil sends a hindrance….which of course became an opportunity for God to reveal spiritual truth.
Good Teacher!!
The idea and thinking behind this Title is that Jesus taught things to do and that if your do those things you will inherit eternal life. A plus B = Life….simple!! Surely I can do this if Jesus will tell me what to do? Right?
He asked Jesus – “What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”
Great question!
The answer of course is NOT DO–but BELIEVE.
This question reveals that the rich young ruler had no idea of his own sinfulness and failure to please God. This is a common blindness with most people.
Even the best law-keeping person is still a complete failure and sinner before God. Even the kindest grandma – if she does not rely upon Jesus Christ – is a failure and sinner before God.
Jesus straight away perceived this and gave the young pup a list of some of the Laws of God to keep. Jesus did this not because by keeping them he would inherit eternal life…but in trying to keep them HE WOULD FAIL!!
The young ruler says proudly straight back – I have kept these since my youth…Jesus then gives him the killer blow…“One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”
Keeping laws outwardly is not hard for many good people. They go through life without committing adultery, stealing, murdering or getting in a fight or slandering people etc etc. They have had good upbringings and keeping laws is easy to them…..BUT ONE THING THEY LACK!!
Jesus will strike at the root of our pride in order to set us free.
This man loved money. Jesus told him to sell all you have and give it to the poor.
He went away from Jesus sorrowful because that was the one thing he could not do.
So many say the same today. I have had many say to me when I urge them to come to Jesus – “No way! All they want is my hard earned money!”
But selling all you have is not just about outer things like money is it.
Paul said in 1 Cor 13 “And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.”
Jesus was not preaching keep the commandments to this man-He was preaching GET LOVE!!
And Who is Love? Jesus is Love.
The man needed Jesus!! You need Jesus!! You need Jesus to live inside your heart. If you want eternal life you must RECEIVE JESUS CHRIST INTO YOUR HEART.
And after that receiving – you must stay resting in Jesus who lives in your heart….and not fall back into DOING in order to inherit eternal life.
Jesus told him to sell all that he has.
This is also pointing to the self righteous pride we have – where we think we have what it takes to be a good follower of Jesus. This is what must be sold and gotten rid of!!
10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ 13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” – Luke 18
Christians fail to see that this is not a one time event when you first came to Jesus…but is an ongoing attitude of humility before God. Looking down our noses on sinners out there—is a dead giveaway.
You are only right with God by the fact that Jesus dwells in you-period! None of your deeds justify you before God….nor do they disqualify you either.
As long as we are looking to our “good” deeds to justify us or to our “bad” deeds to disqualify ourselves we are deceived and in the natural mind.
Jesus told the people in John 6
26 Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. 27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”
28 Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”
29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”
Many follow Jesus only for what He might do for them outwardly- riches, houses, cars, jobs, reputation..
But Jesus would have us find true Life which is IN HIM-THROUGH FAITH IN HIM daily.
While we still think that it is up to us to work and try to keep laws to get life–we shall fail because we are exalting ourselves – but if we shall humble ourselves to ONLY BELIEVE that Jesus is enough in me today–then God through that humility will exalt us.
Now remember this!!
21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him,
You may be struggling today under a weight of condemnation and doubts because no matter how hard you try to please God it seems you cannot! Friend–just relax back into His embrace and tell him you cannot please Him…that without Him you are nothing. And just receive His embrace and comfort for that is all He wants for you today.
Mark 10:21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him,