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This long passage is also recorded in Matt 19:16-30 and Luke 18:18-30.
After Jesus has met those who brought children to him for blessing, “there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, ‘Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?’ ” (v17) Who was this fellow? He was a “young man” (Matt 19:20) and “a certain ruler” (Luke 18:18), and he was wealthy too (v22). He came to Jesus not just for blessing but for eternal life—the heart of his desire. His attitude was very positive, since he came “running, and kneeled” to Jesus. He appeared to be hasty to receive the answer from Jesus how to obtain eternal life. Besides, he showed his humility by kneeling before Jesus and honouring him as “Good Master”. It is not easy for a young and rich ruler to humble himself that way. His attitude showed his earnest desire to have eternal life. He saw eternal life more important than personal honour. Anyone who really desires to encounter Jesus in church should forget his personal honour and come with such an attitude—be hasty and humble. In reality, we always encounter the truth-seekers who do not possess these two elements simultaneously, unless something serious happens to them or their close ones. This young ruler has indeed passed the “attitude” test.
(two mistakes in the question)
Now we come to analyze his question: “Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” (v17) There are certainly some mistakes in his question. Jesus immediately corrected his first mistake—“Good Master”, by saying: “Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God.” (v18) While we think that “Good Master” is a very suitable greeting applied to Jesus, out of our surprise, he denied it as inappropriate. Perhaps he felt that the young man greeted him with that title only to appease him. To Jesus, calling him “Master” or “rabbi” is already sufficient. There is no need to describe him as “good” master. Instead, he reminds everyone that only God is good and we human beings are all sinners, including the young ruler. His reply reminds us of Psalm 14:2-3: “The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” The young man changed his tone immediately in his conversation later by saying only “Master” (v20).
Another mistake in the question posed by the young man is more serious but not easy to discover by the hearers. Let’s probe into that. In the mind of the young man, which represents the general thinking, we have to do something or some good things to inherit eternal life (Matt 19:16, “what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?”). In other words, we have to do some good things to please God in order to obtain eternal life. To the surprise of the young man, Jesus answered him, “If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.” (Matt 19:17) This answer surprised him because it was no difference from every Rabbi’s teaching. Then he asked Jesus, “Which?" (甚麼誡命？)(Matt 19:18) Jesus listed some of the Ten Commandments, such as “Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not (不可虧負人), Honour thy father and mother.” (v19) He even said that the young man should know about the Ten Commandments, since he cared so much for eternal life. Every religious Jew is supposed to be very familiar with the Ten Commandments but not everyone can proudly say like what the young ruler answered Jesus, “Master, all these have I observed from my youth.” (v20) It sounds like the young man was born of a Jewish family that had close connection with Judaism. Jesus’ answer obviously could hardly satisfy the young man. He claimed he has observed all the commandments but was still not sure if that could guarantee eternal life. He felt missing something other than observing the Ten Commandments. That’s why he came to Jesus for the missing answer. And he was right; Jesus was to tell him what he lacked doing.
(earthly wealth or heavenly treasure)
On hearing the young man’s reply, Jesus paused, “beholding him loved him” (v21). He perceived that this young man not only had the true desire for eternal life, but he has also contributed all his efforts to obtain it. Jesus appreciated his fervor for being a strict follower of God’s commandments—a typical legalist like Paul prior to his conversion. He was absolutely distinguished from those hypocritical Pharisees, who merely pretended to be pious in many religious rituals but regarding God’s commandments, “they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men” (Matt 23:3-5)
What did the young man lack doing then? Jesus said to him seriously, “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.” (v21) There are two requirements involved in this statement. First, Jesus required him to sell all his possessions and give to the poor. We may immediately ask, 'Why would Jesus give him such a tough requirement?' We can tell by his requirement that he knew very well that this young man was very rich. Verse 22 tells us that “he had great possessions”. It is believed that Jesus put this special requirement on him so as to test the degree of how much he loved God. Did he love God to such an extent that he would be willing to forsake his wealth and give to the poor, if that’s what God demanded him to do?
In Mark 12:28-31, Jesus was asked by a scribe, “Which is the first commandment of all?” Jesus answered, “The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.” He further said, “And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself (v19). There is none other commandment greater than these.” If the young man really did what Jesus demanded him to do, he would fulfill these two greatest commandments of all. However, the issue is: Did Jesus really need him to forsake all his possessions and give to the poor in order to prove his love of God with all his heart and soul and with all his strength? In my opinion, Jesus was teaching him the true meaning behind observing God’s commandments--love God and love people. To the young man, observing God’s commandments could earn him a ticket of entering the kingdom of God. This kind of thinking can have nothing to do with the love of God, not to speak of loving God with all his heart. It still remains benefit- or welfare-oriented kind of thinking. Sadly, even in today’s world, many people still have such wrong mindset about the salvation of God—doing something to trade for a place in heaven. So, Jesus was teaching the young man that the motive of observing God’s commandments was not to earn a ticket to heaven but it’s the love of God that triggered a person to obey Him. Why was he required to give the money to the poor? It was simply because God was merciful to them. Anyone who obeys God’s demand must understand that God loves us and that he should implement God’s word with the love of people.
Besides, Jesus wanted the young man to know that loving God should have no boundary or limit. You just have to fulfill whatever God demands of you, even forsaking everything you own. That reminds us of the account of God’s demand for the life of the son of Abraham. Isaac was Abraham’s beloved son, and he was the only descendant Abraham bore with Sarah in his advanced years. And God charged Abraham to put the young Isaac on the altar. Just think about it: Did God really need Abraham to sacrifice his son in order to prove that he obeyed God with all his heart? It so happened that when the kind father took the knife to slay his son, God immediately stopped him and said, “Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.” (Gen 22:12) The outcome tells us that God just wanted to test whether Abraham had full obedience to God. I think Jesus was simply testing the young man in a similar way. Even if the young man showed his willingness to do as Jesus demanded him, Jesus would not need him to sell all his possessions at all. At least, the way he responded already showed whether he understood that the key motive of obeying God was to love Him with all his heart. Notice that after the requests, Jesus guaranteed him a great promise: “thou shalt have treasure in heaven”, if he were willing to give up his possessions. If the young man were so serious about obtaining eternal life, he should be very eager to give up his earthly wealth in exchange for heavenly treasure. Sadly, his reaction in verse 22 tells us his final choice. Counting the value of the deal, he thought it not worthy to make such a bargain, for he loved earthly wealth more than heavenly treasure.
The first choice is indeed a life-and-death issue. John said, “If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (I John 2:15) Before the people of Israel entered the Promised Land, Moses at his dying age presented a similar choice before them. He said, “See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil. In that I command thee this day to love the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply; and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it. But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land.” He further said, “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.” (Deut 30:15-19) Even though the Israelites finally managed to conquer the enemies of Canaan and inherit the Promised Land, they were still required to make the choice of life and death, blessing and cursing. In response to Jesus’ challenge of the choice of either life or death, the young man chose to keep his wealth and forsake eternal life. In other words, he chose the way that leads to death.
(follow me)
The first choice of keeping earthly wealth or heavenly treasure is already tough to make. The second choice that Jesus presented, “come, take up the cross, and follow me”, is even harder for everyone. Why? Just imagine how hard it was for Jesus to bear his own cross! The cross or heavenly path is different for each follower of Christ; but we all share the same feeling—it is never an easy choice to make if we are to follow Jesus all the way through.
It is interesting to see that the first choice preceded the second one. It indicates that Jesus wanted the young man to understand that he could not keep his possessions and follow Jesus at the same time. Just like his 12 disciples, following Jesus requires full dedication and commitment in God’s mission designed for us without worrying about our daily needs, as Peter expressed in verse 28, “we have left all, and have followed thee”. We have to trust that God will provide for our daily needs. Does it mean that we have to give up everything in order to follow Jesus? I believe not so. However, we must be prepared to sacrifice something in this world and not to keep pursuing the materialistic life if we are determined to live a life as Jesus’ followers. With a similar tone of Moses challenging the Israelites to make a life-and-death decision, Jesus exhorted every one of us in the Sermon on the Mount, “Enter ye in at the strait gate (你們要進窄門); for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. Because strait is the gate (那門是窄的), and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matt 7:13-14)
(conflict between earthly wealth and eternal life)
Let’s ponder over this question: If the young man needs to fulfill the above requirements in order to obtain eternal life, does it imply that salvation is conditional? Can we still keep our wealth or keep pursuing the materialistic life and be saved? We know that salvation is entirely God’s grace and we receive it by pure faith. There is no need for us to do any extra work. The thing is that the focus of the question does not lie on whether we can keep pursuing wealth; it lies with the test of our faith. Will 'loving this world' become the stumbling block of our faith in God? Notice in verse 24 what Jesus said about the rich people: “how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!” Wealth or luxurious life has already become the stumbling block of many rich people, who feel that they already have everything they need and thus believe that they have enough security for the rest of their lives. That is the main difference between the rich and the poor. They need not worry about their living in future, as the poor does. However, that kind of life security makes them think less about the security of life after death, not to speak of the real meaning of life. As a result, they never feel lacking anything from God, including salvation, as reflected earlier, “If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (I John 2:15) True faith and true love of God are implemented through our willingness to obey God and to sacrifice anything for His sake. Verse 22 tells us that after listening to Jesus’ demand on him, the young man “was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.” The young man was “sad” at Jesus’ demand. What about us? Would we feel “sad” too if the same demand falls on us from our Lord?
When the rich young man was gone, Jesus sighed before his disciples, “How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!” (v23) Doubtless to say, the richer we are, the harder it is for us to give up our luxurious life and to step on the path of suffering. On hearing of this, the disciples “were astonished at his words.” (v24) Jesus further explained the reason, “how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!” In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus urged people not to trust in riches. The reason is: “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (NRSV--“wealth”).” (Matt 6:24) Hence, those who trust in their riches are actually serving “mammon”. Their minds are already set at the materialistic world. They love money and hate God because God commands them not to trust in wealth. When our minds are occupied by money, we will have no more interest in making investment in so-called “life after death”.
To describe how hard it is for the rich to be saved, Jesus said, “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” (v25) This statement has at least two interpretations. (Refer to ‘Note’) Verse 26 describes the reaction of the disciples again: “And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, ‘Who then can be saved?’ ” They seemed to worry about whether they were qualified to enter the kingdom of God. If the rich people could not enter, they were even harder to enter. Jesus, “looking upon them”, seemed knowing what they were worrying about. So, he immediately comforted them by saying, “With men it is impossible, but not with God. For with God all things are possible.” (v27) When a person trusts in riches, his mind is only set on worldly things. His eyes only focus on the materialistic world. However, God has the power to change man’s mind and heart so that he will no longer put his focus on the physical world. Instead, he will begin to cherish the eternal value of the things in the spiritual world. Once his spiritual eyes are enlightened, he can give up the worldly things that occupy his mind and heart. We have seen movie stars who have earned big money are later converted and testify that they no longer strive for money as the goal of their profession or a guarantee of life security. Rather, they are willing to invest more time in pursuing something that carries eternal value. This kind of change is not initiated by man’s power or might but by the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit.
(earthly loss creates more blessing)
Jesus said, “Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.” (v29-30) Jesus pointed out that if we are willing to sacrifice for his sake and for the gospel’s sake, we may bear some loss but surely gain more abundant blessings in this world as well as in the next world. Quitting one’s house or family and hometown proves one’s commitment to follow Jesus and whole-hearted participation of godly ministry, as the disciples responded to Jesus’ calling. Such follower seems to “have left all”, as Peter described himself. (v28) But in return, Jesus guaranteed, “he shall receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses…”. (v30) Is Jesus talking about material wealth again? Apparently not. In a material world, we invest on stock or properties to expect higher return on our investment. Endless pursuit of wealth accumulation, however, only drives us further to materialism. So, what does Jesus refer to when he says his followers shall receive hundredfold “in this time” including “houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands”? Our Lord is trying to turn our focus from tangible wealth to intangible wealth such as a closer and love relationship with God and His children. What sort of house did Jesus care about in his shortened life on earth when he said, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head” (Matt 8:20)? A luxury house? Not at all! Remember the first thing he did after entering the Holy Temple of Jerusalem was to drive out the traders. Afterward, he said, “It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.” (Matt 21:13) When his mother and brothers came to him but found no access to approach him in a crowded house, someone told him, “Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.” How did he respond? He said, “ ‘Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?’ And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, ‘Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.’ ” (Matt 12:49-50) He himself serves the best example of quitting his home and family, yet receiving a spiritual family filled with the children of God in his Father’s house.
In Luke 14:16-23, Jesus told of a parable. When the lord of a house “made a great supper, and bade many (請了許多客)”, all the invited guests turned him down with all sorts of excuses. In his great fury, he spoke to his servants, “Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt (瘸腿的), and the blind.” Since there still remained some vacant seats in the banquet, he bid the servants again, “Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.” The lord of the house aptly reflects the heart of our Lord Jesus, who desires his Father’s house to be filled by all who are invited. Jesus continued saying after the parable, “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother (若不愛我勝過愛自己的父母 [註：「愛我勝過愛」原文作「恨」]), and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26) Shall we “hate” our parents, our children and family members in order to follow Jesus? If so, how could Jesus teach us to love our enemies (Matt 5:44)? He also said that “whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.” (Matt 5:22) It is certainly uncomfortable for us to hear of Jesus applying the word “hate” to family relationship. Why would Jesus use the word “hate” then? I think he uses the word “hate” to express one’s determination to follow him at all costs. This is the cost of “bearing one’s cross and following Jesus”. (v21, Luke 14:27, “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.”) Then he asked, “For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?” (Luke 14:28). The point of his illustration is that is it worth it to make such huge expenses to do the construction because the building cost is sure to be enormous? Before starting the construction work, you will definitely take serious consideration. He concluded at the end, “So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:33) So, “hate” implies “forsake” in Jesus’ meaning. If we are to follow Jesus all the way through like the 12 disciples, we must give up something—not just something but everything, including our family.
Really? Do we really have to sacrifice our family relationship to be Jesus’ followers? Shouldn’t we obey the 5th Commandment to honour our parents? Shouldn’t we bring Christ’s love to our beloved family and relatives? Notice the phrase “with persecutions” at the end of verse 30. If our family keeps us from loving God or following Jesus, we may have to choose either to appease our family or to please our Lord. Who is our priority of love in such dilemma, family or Jesus? Jesus’ saying in verses 29-30 seems to mean that we may even have to bear persecution from our family if we decide to follow Jesus whole-heartedly. When he talks about the signs of the world’s end later in Mark 13, he reveals such an undesirable scene: “Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake.” (Mark 13:12-13) It is difficult for us to comprehend such situation in our current experience. Even when his followers have to face such persecution of forsaking or being forsaken by their families, they have great return besides enjoying a peaceful gathering in God’s family on earth. There is our future and heavenly return waiting for us to inherit: “in the world to come, eternal life” (v30) Evidently, what we earn or enjoy in our spiritual world on earth is just a glimpse of what we are going to enjoy in eternity. Back to the question raised by the rich young man at the beginning: “What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” (v17) Jesus gave him a very serious challenge: “come, take up the cross, and follow me.” (v21) How do you respond to such challenge?
(the last shall be the first)
It is interesting that Jesus concluded his message by saying, “But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.” (v31) It is rather difficult to grasp his meaning in this statement. One interpretation is that those who appear to be “first” in the eyes of the world can become the “last” in the eyes of God. Vice versa, those who become the “last” for Christ’s sake will become the “first” in God’s kingdom. Those who trust in wealth instead of God shall have nothing in the end. Those who lose everything for God shall enjoy great treasure in heaven.
In the Book of Revelation, Jesus warned the church of Laodicea as saying, “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” (Rev 3:17) Even the so-called “believers” can turn from first to last. What a miserable example! Honestly, we have to learn the lesson from the church of Laodicea and be alert. Peter said that he has forsaken all and followed Jesus. (v28) Jesus then responded with the return of rich blessings due to Peter’s dedication of his life in God’s ministry.(v29-30) “The last shall become the first” (v31) is the spiritual principle behind the return offered by God. Do you want to become the first or the last?
Note
“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” (v25) Two interpretations of it are listed below:
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There can be some mistake in translating the sentence. The Greek word for ‘camel’ is ‘kamelos’. The original word for ‘camel’ may be ‘rope’ (‘kamilos’). In this sense, the meaning of the whole sentence is: “It is easier for a rope to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”
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This is a comparison. Many city gates in Judah have a small gate called “the eye of needle”. Its purpose is to let people pass through after the city gate is closed. It is difficult for the camel to pass through the tiny gate. People have to unload all the stuff from the camel’s body before the camel can go through the gate. In this sense, the meaning of the sentence is: “It is easier for the camel to go through ‘the eye of needle’ gate than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”
(Source: http://www.pastorlau.org)