The Rich Young Ruler

Mark 10:17-27

Text:

¹⁷ As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” ¹⁸ And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. ¹⁹ You know the commandments, ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” ²⁰ And he said to Him, “Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up.” ²¹ Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” ²² But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property.

²³ And Jesus, looking around, said to His disciples, “How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!” ²⁴ The disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵ 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.” ²⁶ They were even more astonished and said to Him, “Then who can be saved?” ²⁷ Looking at them, Jesus said, “With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.”

   Note the title: The Rich Young Ruler.

   In our text, we read in v. 17, we read, "a man ran up to Him."

   But in Luke 18:18 we read, "a certain ruler asked him."

   This young man was a ruler.

   This account is recorded three times in the New Testament: Matt. 19:16-26,  Mark 10:17-27 (our text), and Luke 18:18-23.  Repetition means there are important lessons for us to learn

LESSON 1:  THE RICH YOUNG MAN DID SOMETHING GOOD

   v.17, "a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him."

   Here was a ruler, a man of authority and power, yet when he approached Christ, the first thing he did was kneel before Him.

   This ruler approached the Lord with humility and humbleness.

   That is how we too much approach our Savior.

   Today we no longer use a word: veneration, which means "great respect and reverence."

   We come to Christ with the attitude of veneration.

   What a wonderful act of humility; a ruler bowing before Jesus showing extreme humility.

   But this rich man did several wrong things.

LESSON II:  THE RICH YOUNG MAN DID NOT HAVE FAITH

   In v. 17 the ruler called Jesus, "Good Teacher."

   Not "Son of God," not "Son of David," not "Redeemer," not "Savior."

   The ruler just thought of Jesus as only a good teacher.

   Many today who think of Jesus only as a Good Teacher.

   Who is Jesus to you?

1.         Good teacher - unsaved

2.         Moral teacher - unsaved

3.         Reformer - unsaved

4.         Activist - unsaved

5.         My Lord and my Savior - saved !  

LESON III:  THE RICH YOUNG MAN THOUGHT HE COULD SAVE HIMSELF

   v. 17 (end), "What shall I do to inherit eternal life?"

   Note the two words "I do."

   If I do this and I do that, I will inherit eternal life.

   Nothing is farther from the truth than this.

   We cannot save ourselves.

   The ruler thought good works could save him. 

   Titus 3:5, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us."

   Eph. 2:8,9. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: ⁹ Not of works, lest any man should boast."

   Gal. 2:16 (end), "For by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."

   You cannot work your way into heaven;

   You cannot beg your way into heaven;

   You cannot bribe your way into heaven;

   You cannot buy your way into heaven;

   You cannot climb your way into heaven;

   God does not grade on the curve.    

   Many think that God grades on the curve.  We say to ourselves, "I'm not so bad; I'm not that bad.  Therefore, on the curve, God will save me."

   God does not grade on the curve; He grades according to the geniuses of one's faith.

   Jesus gave an interesting answer.

   v. 19, "You know the commandments, 'Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.'"

   In other words, keep every law every time, every place, from your first breath to your last breath on earth, and you can earn eternal life.  However, this is impossible as no person has ever been able to keep all of God's moral law..

   You can save yourself if you are able to keep every law of God, not fail even once, and live a perfect, sinless life from birth to death.  Then you can earn salvation.  Problem is: no one has been able to to this.

   James 2:10, "Whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point is guilty of all."

   So if you kept all the law ecxept one; you cannot enter eternal life.

   In Bible, "saved" is always in the passive sense, meaning that someone must save us.

LESSON IV:  THE RICH YOUNG MAN THOUGHT HE OBEYED EVERY LAW

   v. 20, "Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up."

   My answer to him would have been: "Liar, liar, pants on fire."

   He just told a whopper of a lie, thinking he kept all the law.

   v. 20, "Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up."  

   If there was a moral man who deserved to be saved, it would be this rich, young ruler.  He was a moralist, a very virtuous man.  Yet he was unsaved without Jesus.

   No matter how moral you are, you are lost without Jesus.

LESSON V:  HE SOUGHT RICHES INSTEAD OF GOD

   v. 21-22,  "Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, 'One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.' ²² But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property."

   Note v. 22 (end), "for he was one who owned much property."

   Instead of seeking eternal life, salvation, the kingdom of God, he sought to become rich instead.

   Many rich people are unhappy because riches cannot satisfy.

   Only Jesus can satisfy fully.  He alone can satisfy your soul.

   There is nothing wrong in riches, per se. 

   But don’t make the pursuit of riches your primary goal and god.

   Seek rather to be rich in obedience!

LESSON VI:  SALVATION IS IMPOSSIBLE FROM MAN

   v. 25-27, "'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.' ²⁶ They were even more astonished and said to Him, 'Then who can be saved?' ²⁷ Looking at them, Jesus said, 'With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.'"

   Can a camel go through an eye of a needle? No!  So neither can a man save himself.

   In reference to salvation, v. 26, "With people it is impossible."

   With sinners it is impossible to save himself.

    v. 27 (end), "for all things are possible with God."

   In other words, all things, including eternal life, is possible only with God.

   v. 26, "Then who can be saved?"

   No one in and of himself; it is of God.

INVITATION

   v. 21 (NIV), " Jesus looked at him and loved him."

   That is good news - no matter your past, the depth of your sin, the depravity of your heart, the wickedness of your behavior, God loves you fully, completely, and unconditionally. 

   Jer. 31:3, "Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love."

   God loves you regardless.

   v. 21, "One thing you lack."

   You lack Jesus.

   Come to Jesus, trust HIm and live.