#RICH YOUNG RULER HOW TO#

True, there may be a need for me to clarify something, and I realize maybe I could have phrased my initial question better. I have to confess that sometimes I get a little irritated or frustrated when I ask somebody for information and get another question in response rather than an answer. As is the Jewish method of teaching, Jesus answered the young manвЂ™s question with one of His own.

I wonder how much time Jesus took before He replied to the young manвЂ™s question. So, was the young man, the rich young ruler, looking for a genuine answer? Was he really sincere? Did he truly want to receive eternal life, or was he just looking for whatever was missing from his present life? Only he could have known for sure, except Jesus knew exactly what he was thinking-though Mark doesnвЂ™t tell us this in the text. I remember a preacher, many years ago, speaking about that verse and asking, вЂњHow religious can you get?вЂќ How could anyone keep all of the rules? Jesus Himself, in the Sermon on the Mount, said, вЂњThat except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven' (Matt. One estimate, in addition to the Ten Commandments, is there were more than 600 laws, commandments and ordinances in the Law.

Leviticus, Numbers and the other books give all kinds of instructions, which were mandatory and binding on all the Hebrew people. We donвЂ™t have to look far to remember the Jewish religion, the Law of Moses, had many commandments. This is the most sincere question in the Bible, and itвЂ™s rooted in a very sincere, albeit misguided, frame of mind. Nobody ever had asked Jesus that question before! Think of all the times when people had asked Jesus various questions or made different kinds of requests. So, he asked a profound question: вЂњGood Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?вЂќ

#RICH YOUNG RULER HOW TO#

He wanted to know! DonвЂ™t you wish more people wanted to know how to receive eternal life? 19:22), rich (Luke 18:23) or a ruler (perhaps a leader in a synagogue) (Luke 18:18) stand in the way of wanting to find an answer to his question. No doubt he was sincere and probably didnвЂ™t let his own status as being young (Matt. Apparently, the young man still was kneeling when he asked his the question. Remember this man was one of the few mentioned in th Bible as running, and one of the very few who knelt before Jesus prior to our Lord going to Calvary. The Young ManвЂ™s Question and Jesus' Reply Now we see a contrast: Jesus walking toward His destiny, and someone running to see Him! Reading in the gospels, we learn that many people came to Jesus, some bringing others (such as the friends who let a sick man down through a roof). Jesus, as weвЂ™ve seen, is heading for Jerusalem, and HeвЂ™s fully aware of whatвЂ™s going to happen in just a matter of days. And come, take up the cross, and follow Me.'' The text is from Mark 10:17-22 (key verse is 21): 'Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, 'One thing thou lackest: Go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven. In fact, this may be one of the last conversations or encounters with a seeker prior to Him going to Calvary. This event was mentioned in three of the four gospels! This event took place shortly before the Lord Jesus Christ made His final journey to Jerusalem, there to give His life a ransom for many (Mark 10:45) and three days later rise from the dead. When an event in Scripture is recorded once, itвЂ™s clearly important. Based on a message preached at First Baptist Church, Glasgow, Mo.

Rich young ruler