What was Jesus really asking the Rich Young Ruler?
"Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?" That's an excellent question! Be honest. You've probably asked or thought about that question yourself. In your desire to be good and pleased to God, you've wondered, am I doing the right things to ensure my eternal future?
Mature Christians understand that you cannot "do" anything to earn eternal life. Salvation is by grace alone; it's a gift. There's nothing you can do to earn it. But, being saved by grace is not a license to live any way we want. It requires that we live and follow God's commandments to live according to His ways.
The best biblical definition of someone who accepts this way of life is a disciple. A disciple is a follower; in this case, it’s being a follower of Christ. A disciple declares that life's path is not of his choosing but that of his master, Jesus. What He says is ultimately the truth he embraces and the direction the disciple will take. At no point on the journey does the disciple go off and do things of his choosing. Instead, his allegiance, his commitment, and devotion are to the master.
The question quoted earlier was asked of Jesus by the rich young ruler, a conversation Jesus had, which is found in three of the four gospels in the New Testament. When the young ruler asks Jesus what he should do to obtain eternal life, Jesus tells him to obey the seventh, sixth, eighth, ninth, and fifth commandments. He responds by telling Jesus that he has kept all of these since childhood, which is doubtful. Jesus then tells him that there's one other thing he must do. He has to sell everything, give to the poor, and follow him. This, of course, addressed the tenth commandment, covetousness, and greed, which reveals the real issue this ruler was dealing with. He thought he was doing all the right things on the outside, following all the commandments, yet his heart was wrapped up in his wealth, which he valued more than God. Wealth and riches can hinder a person from entering into everlasting life, but that's not the main point of this story.
Some well-meaning Christians use this text to vilify riches as something to be avoided or to propagate the notion that Christians should give everything away, but that's not what Jesus was saying here. The focus of this text is not about riches; it's about salvation. The young ruler asked, "What good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?" (Matthew 19:16) Having done everything he thought he could do to gain eternal life, he still felt like he was falling short of obtaining it. The commandments that Jesus emphasized were all about how to treat other people, to which he responds, "All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?"
It is here when Jesus points to the real issue, the young man's self-reliance and his lack of devotion to God. The one thing in his life keeping him from his steadfast love for God was his possessions, so Jesus told him to give them up and, this time, make a genuine commitment to follow him. He invites him to be a disciple. To forsake his way and embrace God's way.
Many things in this world hinder people from fully committing to God; wealth is just one of them. For some, it's a relationship or a career. Whatever person, place, or thing one allows to have priority and influence in their life above God will keep them from being a faithful disciple of Christ.
The Bible is clear that if you love the world, the love of The Father (God) cannot reside in you. Money is a test of our commitment and love for God, but so is every other thing God has given to us. Being a disciple requires that we manage (steward) everything God has entrusted to us His way.
We can accept the gift and reject the Giver by merely valuing the gift above the Giver. It's not what you say that matters most; it's what you do because it reveals what you believe. If you see money, a relationship, a career, or anything else as a means to obtain the value and the meaning you desire in life, it shows that this world and what people think about you is what's most important to you.
“ It’s not what you say that matters most; it’s what you do because it reveals what you believe. ”
It's worthwhile to examine our life to see if the path we're on is the one Jesus chose for us or the one we've chosen for ourselves. Just a few degrees off-course today will cause us to be miles off course in the future.
In Mark's gospel, before he tells the young man what he is still lacking, it says, "Jesus looked at him and loved him." Even though this young man rejected Jesus and chose not to follow him, he still loved him. No matter where you are right now, Jesus loves you. He loves you so much that he's offering you a way of life that's abundant and joy-filled if you become his disciple. What's even better, you inherit eternal life too!
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