The Rich Young Ruler

Rev John Kirby

God is doing something wonderful across this nation. God is stirring you in your heart to do something. God wants more to be happening outside, it was his commission to us. To go out into all the world. And your world is all around you. The moment you say yes, God works wonders.

So much needs to be done, especially the marginalised, like the orang asli. God wants to equip them to do something in this nation. God says he uses the foolishness of this world. Even children.

Are you glad to be in the house of the Lord? We just pass through life and the nitty gritty things in life just weigh us down, but we can overcome the accusations of the devil and the lies he sell to us. Today we are going to read about the life of this rich ruler.

Matthew 19:16-26

Jesus Counsels the Rich Young Ruler

16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”

17 So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

18 He said to Him, “Which ones?”

Jesus said, “‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ 19 ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”

20 The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?”

21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

With God All Things Are Possible

23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say to you, 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.”

25 When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”

26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

It is very interesting that Jesus doesn't answer their questions but rather talks about what's in our hearts. It is good to sometimes just to be still in his presence. God wants us to sometimes just consider why we pray what we pray. Ask yourself why are you praying for Malaysia?

This man asked Jesus an important question. And with a profound greeting. Good teacher. What must I do to inherit eternal life? This man talks about himself. He needs to see himself as he really is and Jesus wants to get to that point in his life. To go past this facade that all is okay when things are not okay. If you need God's deliverance you must come to Jesus that way.

The heart of God is that he loves to be needed. If you need Jesus more than anything in the world you've got him. We always say his grace is sufficient but how often do we just lean on him and say we cannot go another step.

The laws function is to let us know that we will fail. That we cannot do it on our own. This rich young ruler comes to Jesus as described in the other gospels. He has great possessions. It is not wrong to have possessions but there is one very important thing that he will understand. Your possessions should never possess you. You must possess your possessions. Some people think you cannot be rich looking at this passage. And that you must live in rags.

God has not called us to live that kind of life. We can live rich, in possessions and health but don't let it possess you.

Let's talk about his age. He's not an old man but neither is he a teenager. Until at 30 years, with the Jews you are still not a grown man. We need to not just physically grow but we need to mentally and emotionally develop. In some countries you're an adult at 16. That's not in accordance to God's plan. We need to go back to the biblical culture. Not Jewish culture but biblical culture. We are not old fashioned or new fashioned but God fashioned.

He is probably 24 to 30 years old so he's in the youth category. In a stage where he is wanting to learn and is curious. He was in the prime of his life. Not over the hill but climbing the hill. The secret to staying young is to keep learning. Don't be a know it all. We are to be learning.

He is a ruler so he has authority over others. He had position and wealth and is in the prime of his life. And obviously he was missing something. He may have everything but there's an emptiness in him. And that emptiness can only be filled by Jesus.

He calls him good teacher. Rabbi. That's what many calls him. We need to really know who Jesus is. Jesus says why call me good? That there is none good but God. Jesus was pointing out to him that Jesus was showing himself to this young man as God. Jesus doesn't come to anyone as someone else but as who he is. In absolute reverence to his Lordship. Not as a friend.

John 8:24

Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”

Some people think he's like a Santa Claus, giving gifts. We have to come to him as God. And sin has to be confessed and renounced. Because he is God.

He talks to Jesus calling him good and master but Jesus showed him who he really is. Eternal life can only be earned by doing good, something this man grew up believing. He knows the law and also teaches others but what he knows is not precisely the truth. What he do is necessary so what is it that is missing or lacking in what he do. It is a focus in self and this man has to realise that there is no hope in self.

I go to many places and find many self righteous people. There is something  awesome about Jesus. In the things that you think you care about he doesn't care. Not by works of righteousness but according to his mercy he saved us. It is never about the works we have done but what he has done.

What shall I do to inherit eternal life and Jesus looked into his heart and knew what exactly he needed. He told him to keep the law. Keep the Commandments. Jesus knew what he was doing. To kill a cockroach you need to lure it out. There is a difference this is not a problematical but a man with problems. Jesus saw not a blind man but a man that is blind. So Jesus always deal with the problem. Some people deal with the person like he's the problem. He had the problem and Jesus knew his precise condition. And this man replied and said he's being doing it since his youth. He's being self righteous. In ourselves there is no goodness.

He qualifies the called. He doesn't call the qualified. Sometimes we wonder why someone who is in a marriage wreck stands at the pulpit and preach. Of course there is time out but when God has dealt with it who is to say God cannot use anyone. God has gifted and anointed these and God does not take back what he gave. Sometimes the church just don't see like Jesus. God never judges the world without judging the church first.

This man just needed to see his condition. What do I still lack he asked. Before a person can get saved, he needed to get lost. The law can never save him. He needed to see that he is guilty of self.  In verse 21 Jesus gave him a challenge. If you want to be perfect. Desperately in need of salvation he knew something is missing. That lack must lead us to Jesus. How many of you are poor in spirit? If you come in a spirit that knows that you need him, that he is the only one that can fill you up, like that woman at the well, you will find him.

Jesus always have an appointment with us at a certain time at a certain place for a certain need of yours. God sometimes uses things, even a movie to trigger a response. He is amazing. He knows your heart and he wants to draw you in and sort it out.

Jesus speaks grace but he never dismisses your problems. He sorts it out when you come to him. This man was concerned about how he performed. But God says if you fail in one part of the law, you've failed all. Have any of you perfectly followed the law? We all fail. The Bible says cursed is all who have not followed completely the law and Jesus wanted to release this man from that.

So what was the condition of this man? Following the law was not it. But Jesus knew his problem and that was his possession. Don't make this into doctrine. Don't tell people to sell all his possession and come to TOP. Jesus was talking to this man's specific condition. A very sensitive area in his life.

Jesus said if you can do this then follow me. There are very few followers of him in church. Jesus covers us provided we have all this mess dealt with. Perfection. I want to close with this thought.

Jesus said be perfect even as your father is perfect. It sounds like a challenge and commandment to us. But it is to tell us we just cannot. Abraham did not fully obey God. God told him to take his own son and kill him for a burnt offering. That was his instructions. He did go up, tied his son up and prepare the firewood but he didn't kill his son. Why?

I can tell you he did not wilfully obey because God has only one message. Salvation is so powerful that it can only be God and not man. Salvation has nothing to do with man but had everything to do with God. If Abraham can sacrifice his son, we can say we can do the sacrifice. Perfection can only happen with the lamb of God. The perfect sacrifice. The love of God just overwhelms.