The One Thing Missing: The Rich Young Ruler (Mark 10:17-31)
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The Sad Account (verses 17-22)
The man in this account is rich (Mark 10:22), he is young (Matt 19:20), and His is a powerful ruler (Luke 18:18). He had the three things everyone wants! Money will buy fun, prestige, security, and so-called friends. Youth means a supple body and a bright and active mind. Adding power to that list, he had respectability and status among the people. In short, this man had everything in the world to live on, and nothing to live for.
But the young man reveals that his understanding of eternal life is very weak. First, he asks what he must do to inherit eternal life, but it is common knowledge that you do not do anything to gain an inheritance. Rather, you gain it because you are born into or adopted into a family. In addition, it may be that the young man’s question is really asking, “My life is so good right now, but I know that this life is fleeting, quickly fading away. Can I do something to be sure I have this forever?” Whatever his motive, the question about what he must do clearly reveals that he has not ceased to rely on the works of the flesh, and that he has not come to see the need for Another’s work on his behalf. He is still looking to something that he can do. Jesus’ responds to his question by giving him the Law, specifically the second tablet containing the horizontal commands. In his confident estimation of himself, the man scores 100% in keeping with the Law. However, the man’s optimistic assessment of himself is no match for Jesus, who puts his finger right on this young man’s issue.
Jesus picks the thing that this man is clinging to, and tells him to break down his trust in riches and to place his trust in Another. For the young ruler, money was the test to see what he would do with Jesus. Though Jesus said one thing was lacking, he gives the man a whole stream of commands: go, sell, give, follow (10:21). The problem was not primarily the man’s relationship with money, but it was his relationship with Jesus. The command he gives to this rich young ruler might not be the same specific command given to you, that you sell all of your possessions and give to the poor, but it is the same in essence. That is, it is not just a command to give Jesus all of your stuff, but to give Him all of you. Sadly, the rich man walked away because his riches were a better treasure than Christ.
– As you look at the way you are either letting go of or clinging to your money, time, resources, etc., what do they suggest about what you are doing with Jesus? Are there any areas in your life where you are refusing to give yourself to Christ?
The Sober Assessment (verses 23-24)
Jesus’ sober assessment of the situation is that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. The disciples are astonished beyond measure at the assessment Jesus makes. They must have been asking, “If this man who has done so well with the Law goes away without hope, what hope is there for people like us?” We would have to press the same question upon ourselves. While we might have done better than some people, the track record must be totally flawless; the garment must be totally clean. In all of our thoughts and words we must be perfect. For those who would be found trusting in themselves, those who are rich in their own eyes, it is impossible to enter the kingdom of God.
– Why does God require that a person perfectly keep the Law if they are to earn eternal life? What does it reveal about His character?
The Simple Analogy (verses 25-27)
This analogy of the camel and the needle’s eye is designed to show what Jesus means by “hard.” It is equivalent to impossible. He is saying that it would be like the largest animal in Palestine (camel) passing through the smallest opening imaginable (needle’s eye). This is what must happen for a rich man to be saved, as it is also what must happen for a poor man to be saved. The analogy shows the impossibility of anyone being saved, yet the glorious possibility of salvation actually happening. With God all things are possible! It is possible only through hope and trust in the true and better Rich Man. Jesus is the true rich, young Ruler, who sells all that He has and gives to the poor. He is the one who humbles Himself and, like the camel in the analogy, stretches Himself out into one long, bloody thread of sacrifice and weaves His way through the needle’s eye of God’s wrath against sinners! Because the camel has gone through the needle’s eye, we now see miracles all the time as the impossible is made possible in the salvation of sinners. This is the one thing needful, to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
– In what ways is Jesus rich? In what ways did He become poor? In what ways have we been made rich through His willing impoverishment on the earth and on the cross? How have Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection made our salvation possible?