The Rich Young Ruler — Luke 17-18

0:00 Good morning. Let's open with a word of prayer, please. Dear heavenly father, we come to you again, in your presence this morning. We are here to open your word. We're here to learn from it.

0:20 Lord, we're studying this book of Luke, and we're learning about our savior. We're learning about you. And we commit this time to you, ask that you would keep our hearts and our minds focused, that we would be receptive to hear the things that you would have for us to learn today. We commit this time to you. In the Lord Jesus name we pray, amen.

0:42 Turn in your Bibles to Luke 18. Luke 18. Now, Doug Torok last week covered up to verse 15. And Doug focused a bit more on the prayer aspect of the first 15 verses here, first 14 verses rather. I'm talking about prayer.

1:09 Now in verse nine, there's also a sort of segue to the Lord talking about humility. And there's some lessons on humility that start here. Now for a little bit more context again, I mean Doug gave us some background last week, but in chapter 17, starting in chapter 17 is when the Lord specifically starts instructing the disciples. So they're on their way to Jerusalem, he's not teaching so much to the crowds anymore, he's having a bit more focused time with the disciples from chapter 17 through middle of verse 19. Then we get into Jerusalem and the triumphal entry, right.

1:46 So that's a bit of context for where we are. And if you missed the rest of Doug's explanation, you can listen to that from last week. He did a much better job than me. But in verse nine of chapter 19, 18 rather, this is the parable about the Pharisee and the tax collector. And I'm not going to rehash all of this, but the for the sake transition between last week's message and this week's, what I wanna point out as far as the concept of humility goes that Jesus is starting to talk about here, is that Jesus is reminding the hearers here about the fact that the spirit of humility and repentance is necessary.

2:41 And that is what is acceptable to God. And so contrary to what the human appearances might indicate here, it was that tax collector who went home justified because God will exalt the humble, but he humbles those who exalt themselves. And so after this parable about the Pharisee and the tax collector, we pick up in verse 15. And Jesus uses children as examples of humility. And then starting in verse 18, we get humility and the relation to riches and true discipleship and how humility is necessary.

3:27 So these are kind of, it kind of works together on this humility track. So stay with me here. So let's start reading in verse 15, Luke 18. And they were bringing even their babies to him so that he might touch them. But when the disciples saw it, they began rebuking them.

3:47 But Jesus called for them saying, 'Permit the children to come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it at all. So we'll stop there. So they are bringing the infants, they're bringing the children to Jesus that he might touch them. Now, this incident is reinforcing what just came before with the parable of the Pharisee, that humility is necessary for entrance into the kingdom of God.

4:25 There were mothers that were crowding around Jesus bringing their babies to him that they might receive a blessing from him. Now this was actually fairly commonplace. It normal for mothers to bring their children on their first birthday to an esteemed rabbi to get a blessing. This was somewhat cultural. So this isn't abnormal for them to be doing this.

4:48 But the disciples are trying to stick up for the Lord and push them away because Jesus has better things to do. And I can equate to their intentions a little bit. I think their heart was in the right place. They had good intentions but it was wrong. So Jesus corrects them.

5:11 And he says, Let them come to me. You know, it says that they were bringing their infants in that he might touch them. You know, the infants don't understand speech. They couldn't understand Jesus' eloquent teachings or words, but they can respond to a touch. And what we can take from this is the remembrance that the Lord Jesus can communicate with us how we need, how we can best receive it, right?

5:44 Jesus knows how to best communicate in the ways that we need all the time. Matthew's account of this, it's in chapter 19. Matthew's account says specifically that He might put His hands on them and pray. Give a little bit more detail there in Matthew's account. And so with this Jesus blesses the children.

6:02 And the laying on of hands, of course, is used biblically throughout the New Testament to show putting blessing on another. So you've got instances in Acts chapter six, chapter eight, chapter nine, and you've got first and second Timothy as well. There's a lot of this in the New Testament going on. So this also is not abnormal. But it's worth noting that Jesus did bless them but he did not baptize them, right?

6:30 Baptism being someone's ability to this is when someone identifies with the Lord Jesus Christ in his death and his burial and resurrection. And that's not something that an infant can do. But can the Lord Jesus bless them? Yes, absolutely. He says, Let them come to me.

6:52 You know, because children can have a desire, they they can love to come to the lord Jesus, we should never block the way. We should never be a hindrance to this. And this is what Jesus is trying to tell his disciples here. Like, let them come. Don't hinder them.

7:14 You know, we know so much more about Jesus than the women of Judea did, right? We know so much more about him and so we have all the more motivation, all of the more responsibility, all the more reason for us to guide children to Christ and encourage them in their faith. The Lord Jesus is not for adults. The Lord Jesus is not just for adults. He says, For such is the kingdom of God.

7:45 Children receive the blessing of Jesus without trying. They don't have to make themselves worthy of it or pretend that they don't need it. And we need to receive God's blessings in the same way. Children don't have to become adults in order to accept Christ and be saved, but adults do need the simple faith of a child and the humility of a child in order to enter God's kingdom. So we move on here and starting in verse 18, we get the situation here of the rich young ruler.

8:46 And a certain ruler questioned him saying, good teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said to him, why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments, do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor your father and mother. And he said, all these things I have kept from my youth.

9:08 And when Jesus heard this, he said to him, one thing you still lack, sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor and you shall have treasure in heaven and come follow me. But when he had heard these things, he became very sad for he was extremely rich. And Jesus looked at him and said, how hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God. For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. And those who heard it said, then who can be saved?

9:43 But he said, these things impossible with men are possible with God. And Peter said, behold, we have left our own homes and followed you. And he said to them, Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God who shall not receive many times as much at this time and in the age to come, eternal life. Okay, so verses eighteen and nineteen, this rich young ruler comes to Jesus. Now it says a certain ruler and we know that he is rich and young because he is a ruler in verse 18, in verse 23 he is described as rich and in Matthew's account in chapter 19 is where he is called young.

10:36 So that's where we get this from. Was he good looking? I think he was. Okay, I think he was. I think he had facial hair just like mine.

10:48 So we don't know whether his authority was in the world of politics or religion. We don't know kind of where that was, doesn't really matter. But what this section illustrates to us is a man who would not come to the kingdom of God, who would not receive the kingdom of God as a little child. That's the connection. So he starts out good teacher.

11:14 This was actually a little bit of an impressive and surprising way to address Jesus. The term good here, it was never applied to other rabbis. What it actually means is it's referring to complete and total goodness, true goodness. And so Jesus and everyone else within earshot is recognizing here, this is a unique title. So the man is, maybe he is on to something.

11:46 He might be on to something. He asked what good thing shall I do to inherit eternal life? So this man like all of us in human nature, we have an orientation towards earning our salvation. Earning our eternal life. And so he had to know what good work, what noble deed, what it was that he was missing, what was it he had to do to inherit eternal life.

12:18 And Jesus at first ignores the question. He says, why do you call me good? Now Jesus is not denying his own goodness, his perfection. He's asking the man, do you understand what you are saying when you call me good? Do you actually?

12:43 Because no one is good but God or God alone. So it's like Jesus is saying, you come to me asking about what you can do to inherit eternal life, but what do you really know about goodness, true goodness? Spurgeon said, quote, the argument is clear, either Jesus was good or he ought not to have called him good. But as there is none good but God, Jesus who is good must be God. So we might say that the ruler didn't really know who Jesus was.

13:24 He's got something right by calling him good teacher but he doesn't really understand. He doesn't really know who Jesus really is because if he did, there is a high likelihood that he would have humbled himself as a tax collector did in the preceding story. And what follows shows that the man didn't even know his own heart. He didn't even know himself. What do we mean?

14:07 So the ruler was an educated Jew of the day. So he knew the commandments, he was familiar with these, and Jesus could appeal to him on this kind of common ground, right. Even though the man is totally barking up the wrong tree and he's got his priorities all twisted, right. Jesus could appeal to him and meet him in the middle on this common ground. Okay, here's the commandments.

14:30 Okay, let's start here. Now, Jesus is not implying that the man would be saved if he kept these. He's using the law as Paul describes. He's trying to convict the man of sin. He's pointing out the commandments to convict him of his sin.

14:50 And what he's starting with is is often called the second table of the law, right. These are the commandments that relate to, it's man's relationship to another man, right. So he starts here. And in response the man arrogantly claims, he so arrogantly claims, all these things I have kept from my youth. I got it.

15:15 Got it. Claiming to fulfill all of God's commands regarding how he should treat other people. So the law did not have its intended effect of convicting the man of sin. Now it is likely that he actually did keep these commandments in a way that made him righteous before the people. Just as Paul said in Philippians three:six, you know, concerning the righteousness which is of the law, blameless, right?

15:50 We dotted the i's and crossed the t's. So I've met it, I've met it. Of course missing the whole point. Not keeping the law in the full and perfect sense which Jesus described in the sermon on the mount. So Jesus hears these things starting in verse 22.

16:16 Now he starts instructing. Because he asked the ruler about his life, okay. He ignores the arrogance for a minute. Now he starts instructing, okay. Verse 22, and when Jesus heard this he said to him, one thing you still lack.

16:34 Sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor and you shall have treasure in heaven and come follow me. Jesus spoke this command was given to a very specific man, for a specific person. And it was in light of what this man had just described, what he had said. Now this has principle to everyone though. Now Mark's account adds a little bit more detail here.

17:14 He's in Mark, this is in chapter 10, it says, Then Jesus looking at him loved him and said to him. Dot dot dot. And and and so Jesus' response here is Jesus has a heart of love for this man. Jesus has so much love for this man because Jesus can see where the man really is. Because Jesus can perceive that he's misguided and empty.

17:45 And you can see the compassion of the savior here. You know, the the the man has climbed the ladder of success. He's got the wealth and he has the prestige, you know. I mean, and he's still young to top it all off. So he's made it early.

18:00 He climbed the ladder, but he's got it leaned up against the wrong building. Clean up against the wrong building. Anybody ever done that? I haven't, not the wrong building, but I've done it on the wrong wall or like set up the ladder in the wrong place and you're just like, Anyway, so you know you think you've made it and put forth all this effort. You know your heart was really in it.

18:28 You know, but totally wrong at the same time. Jesus says you still lack one thing. Now we had everything, but Jesus could still say you lack one thing. He didn't have eternal life, so really he had nothing. So then Jesus calls him to sell it all and distribute it to the poor.

18:56 Now Jesus does not challenge, again he ignored the man's self righteousness. He's ignoring it here. He doesn't challenge his fulfillment of the law, which Jesus had every right to do but he doesn't. But now Jesus points him to the first table of the law, man's relationship with God. And Jesus challenges him here to put God first.

19:25 To fulfill the law of the love of God, right? What's in Deuteronomy six:five. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, your soul, your strength, and your mind. This is what you need to be doing. And so he points the man first to the second table of the law saying that, okay, you've got an issue with how you treat your fellow man.

19:51 And then he points him to the first table of law, you also have an issue with your relationship with God. Jesus is challenging him to love God more than his money and material things. And he fails miserably, miserably. So really he was an idolater. He loved money and material things.

20:22 But he also, because God asked him to sell it all and distribute it to the poor, right? That's the second table of the law. This is where he's failing. It's not only that you have to give up your idol, but you're also not loving others as you should. So Jesus gives him the two greatest commandments and says, you're failing both and here's what you can do.

21:19 Even though Jesus did not make this a general commandment for everyone, that we should all forsake everything, right? But it was given to this particular man for whom his riches were clearly an obstacle to his discipleship. Because if we were all supposed to do this, we can't all give away everything we possess because then there is nobody left to give and support ministries to, right. So there are wealthy people and it's more beneficial for them to stay wealthy. There are wealthy believers who can support and continue to make money and further the kingdom of God.

22:06 And these are wealthy people to whom their wealth is not an obstacle. Now, the second mistake we could make is that this doesn't apply to anyone. And okay, here's an instruction for this particular man, none of us have to worry about it. And that would also be a mistake because we all have idols in our life. There's idols and it doesn't have to be money.

22:33 There's so many other things that we can make idols out of. And the Lord will ask that we forsake those in order to remove the obstacle to our discipleship. Jesus simply calls the man to be his disciple. He says, Follow me. It's the same language he used in calling many of the other disciples.

23:00 He just simply called the man to be his follower but it meant that he had to leave his wealth behind. John Trapp said, Think not therefore, as many do, that there is no other hell but poverty and no better heaven than abundance. The man became very sorrowful for he was very rich. And the other gospels, Matthew and Mark, both point out that the man went away. So the man hears Jesus' radical solution and command and his face falls, his head drops, I mean he turns around and walks.

23:57 He said, I can't do it. I can't make that sacrifice. I guess I'm going to hell. And that's that's as far as that went. And he let and he went away.

24:12 He was very sorrowful and very rich. It's the ever present tragic combination, isn't it? But common enough to to everyone who makes an idol out of wealth. And so the principle to to to pull out of this is that God will challenge and require us to give something up for the sake of his kingdom. And he might still allow that thing for someone else.

24:48 And that's something we have to wrestle with. And Paul talks about this too, about all things being lawful for me. But one brother is convicted to not eat meat. Okay, that means when I'm with them I don't eat meat. You become, you become all things to all men, he says, right?

25:04 To the Jews, I become a Jew. To the Greek, I become a Greek. Don't let your idols get in the way of your discipleship and your pursuit of God. Very sorrowful and very rich. I have another quote from Adam Clark.

25:31 He says, and what were these in comparison, his riches, what were these in comparison of peace of conscience and mental rest? Besides, he had unequivocal proof that these contributed nothing to his comfort, for he is now miserable even while he still possesses them. And so will every soul be who puts worldly goods in the place of the supreme God. The man has everything. The man has everything and yet he's sorrowful.

26:07 And how many of us fall into the same kind of trap? He wanted eternal life, you know. He knew he was missing something, he needed something, But he wasn't willing to give them up. He was already miserable. But he wasn't willing to give them up.

26:26 It wasn't gonna make it worse. Do we do this? I think so. I think I do it. It's hard and it doesn't have to be riches.

26:36 Know, we've all got those things. We've got the vices. We've got the vices. Forsake it and follow me. Let it go.

27:15 And the man was, like I would, I mean I'll I'll I'll relate to him. I mean he was really kind of depressed and heartbroken at Jesus' command. And he really truthfully was sad, you know. So did Jesus say, Okay, look, maybe we could do something else. I'm a consultant and I do this with my clients all the time.

27:38 I'll give them a solution to a problem and I always shoot for the moon. Like this is going to be the best thing for you really, but might require the most amount of change, it might be something that they are not willing to do, you know. But I always shoot for the moon and I gauge the reaction and sometimes you get it. Sometimes they go for it and sometimes they don't. And when they don't, I will say, okay, I got this other option.

28:00 I don't like it as much. I don't think it's as good for you. But in order to make you feel better about it, feel good about it, to get on board with it, here's another option. Jesus does not do that. He lets the man go.

28:13 There is not another option. This is what you have to do. He doesn't change the demands of the discipleship just because he walked away and was truly, you know, heartbroken. I mean he was sincere in how sorrowful he was but that doesn't change the call. Instead what he does is use the man's sorrow to now, okay, now he is going to teach everybody who is going to listen here.

28:37 Okay, teaching moment. How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God. So one of the reasons, the very one common and obvious reasons is that riches tend to make us satisfied with this life instead of longing for the age to come. Sometimes riches are sought at the expense of seeking God. When we put wealth or career or things in place of seeking God, you know, and God suffers.

29:15 You know, your relationship with God suffers as a result of your efforts towards this other thing. Jesus clearly outlines here that wealth is an obstacle to the kingdom of God. You know we only think about poverty being a problem but riches are clearly a much larger problem and a much more serious problem. For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Can we take a minute here and recognize that God has a sense of humor?

29:56 Did... Somewhere in the last year I had something else that was funny and it was... It's it's interesting to me sometimes to remember that the Lord was human, 100% human, you know. And this isn't an exaggeration, he's not exaggerating here because it is impossible with men. He is representing, he is outlining something impossible.

30:18 But it is a humorous image. I mean, and I think we could appreciate that. So he's trying to show us how difficult it is. And naturally, first thought and their first thought is that this isn't possible. The camel can't go through the eye of a needle.

30:36 Now there are some who have tried to explain this away and say that this really was a camel shuffling through a small poster and gate. Or maybe you translate the Greek wrong and it's kamelon instead of kamelon and it's a cable versus a camel. A cable can go through the eye of a needle, but not... Okay, look, we don't have to try and work that hard. We don't have to try and work that hard.

31:24 So we can't do it. We can't do it. From a human standpoint, as far as physics are concerned, this isn't going to work any way you slice it. George McDonald, quote, it is not enough to explain this as meaning that a rich man cannot, by his own efforts, enter the kingdom. That is true of rich and poor alike.

31:48 The meaning is that it is impossible for a man to enter the kingdom of God as a rich man. As long as he makes a god of his wealth, lets it stand between himself and his soul's salvation, he cannot be converted. The simple fact of the matter is that not many rich people are saved and those who are must first be broken before God. End quote. It's not that rich people can't be saved.

32:21 Can God save rich people? Yep. But you can't enter the kingdom of God as the rich man. We think, we can find it hard to see how the riches hinder us from the kingdom of God. We think about the blessing that riches might bring, right?

32:48 And there were probably those listening here who had hoped that their following Jesus would make them rich and influential, maybe. Prominent leaders in the messianic government. And in this culture wealth was regarded as a sign of God's blessing. And so your religious leaders were expected to have some measure of wealth to be moderately wealthy, right? Because if the leaders are holier, that means they're going to get more blessing and blessing equals wealth.

33:20 And you get Jesus, you get Jesus and his disciples and this lifestyle is conspicuously different. So conspicuously different. They are not wealthy. Jesus didn't have a Jesus was homeless, right? Remember what Paul said to Timothy.

33:51 It's in chapter six, one Timothy six verse nine. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare, and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many a pang, or many sorrows in some translations. Ouch. Ouch.

34:34 So the impossible things for man are possible with God. So God's grace is sufficient to save the rich man, right? Of course it is. And there were many other rich people who furthered the kingdom of God. Zacchaeus, Joseph of Arimathea, you want to start talking about Abraham and Isaac and David and Solomon like the wealth.

34:59 I mean, the wealth, you know. So are rich people bad? No. You know, are all rich people going to hell? No.

35:08 But does God need to do a work in their life? Yes. Do they have to be broken before God? Yes. Do they have to come before God as the little children do?

35:19 Yes. So the wealth has to be removed as an obstacle. Jesus isn't saying that all the poor people and none of the wealthy enter the kingdom of heaven. We might be ever attempting to personally and socially enter the kingdom of God you know, by our own means. This never succeeds, but with God the thing is possible.

36:06 Oh Peter, we have left all and followed you. Now, in contrast to the young ruler, the disciples did give up everything or most everything to follow Christ. And Peter, Peter here wants to know what reward would be promised to them because they obeyed where the rich ruler didn't. Now there is special honor for the disciples. I mean honor that the Apostles had in in the founding of the church, you know, and and the the growth of the church in Acts after the day of Pentecost and and the power that the Apostles were given to spread the gospel.

36:55 I mean this was amazing stuff. And they have a special tribute in the New Jerusalem that's described in Revelation 21. So they definitely have their place. They do. And they do have their special reward.

37:11 But he says, I surely I say to you, there was no one who has left, brother, sister, mother, etc. The 12 apostles may have their unique reward but there's a reward for all who sacrifice for the sake of Christ, who give up, who forsake to follow Christ. And he says, whatever has been given up will be returned many times over in the present age and in the age to come eternal life. Now it's not obviously specifically in a material sense. You're not going to get a 100 mothers or a 100 wives, right?

37:54 Many times, you know, it's literal, but it's spiritual and it's fulfillment, okay? So Matthew Poole described a couple different ways that we get this many times over. Joy in the Holy Ghost, peace of conscience, the sense of God's love, right? You can you can... This is stuff you can feel.

38:14 It's like palatable. Contentment. This this contented frame of mind. Number three, God will stir up the hearts of others to supply their wants. And that supply will be sweeter than the riches ever were.

38:34 God sometimes repays them in this life as he restored Job after his trial to greater riches. So we don't know how or when or what exactly that is going to be. But there is a tremendous benefit and Jesus makes promises here. There is promises. If will forsake what your idol is, if you will forsake these things and follow me, here's what I will give you.

39:13 It doesn't mean that eternal life is gained strictly by forsaking all, but it does mean that we have a greater capacity for enjoying god's kingdom. I'll close with this. You know, this final principle that we can close with is that god will not be a debtor to anyone. And we know, right? We know that it is impossible for us to give to God more than he gives back to us.

39:53 We realize this, right? Having the heart of a giver and keeping the heart of a giver will keep us from being corrupted by wealth and riches. Think about what Psalm sixty two ten says, if riches increase, do not set your heart on them. So giving is the key. Let's pray.

40:50 Lord, we confess that we fail so often to fulfill the call. You have called us all to many different things and different types of things. And Lord, may we have the strength and the courage to honor that call. Be with us and help us. Give us that strength.

41:10 We ask that your Holy Spirit would would would fill us and empower us. May we live lives that are worthy of our savior. We pray these things in Christ's name. Amen.