The rich young ruler is mentioned in the three synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). The teaching is not a parable. Jesus encountered this young man and gave him some tough love. Matthew, Mark, and Luke are consistent in their reporting of this critical event.
Jesus’ encounter with the rich young ruler remains relevant to the modern church.
The idea of following Jesus intrigued the rich young ruler. However, the cost of discipleship was too high for him. Jesus identified the idol of money in the rich young ruler. He was given a choice between God and money. He, like many, made the wrong choice.
What Must I Do To Inherit Eternal Life?
Mark 10:17 (NIV) As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
The young man asked a great question. He might have even asked the most important question that could ever be asked. The young man seemed to be sincere. There was no apparent duplicity in his question.
Mark 10:18-19 (NIV) “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’”
Jesus pushed back on him calling Him “good” but then simply and Biblically answered the question. Essentially, Jesus told him to keep the law. He specifically called out the “love your neighbor as yourself” components of the ten commandments.
Mark 10:20 (NIV) “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
Liar, liar pants on fire!
Sell Everything And Give To The Poor? For Real?
Mark 10:21 (NIV) Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
Jesus used the law often when conducting hand-to-hand evangelism. This encounter was no different.
How can one understand the “good news” without first knowing the bad news? Far too often Christians provide a gospel prescription without making a proper diagnosis.
Jesus didn’t argue with the man about his insistence that he had perfectly kept commandments six, seven, eight, nine, and then five. He went where He knew the real idol was residing — in the first table of the law. The part that states:
Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (NIV) Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
Jesus zeroed in on commandments one and two.
Money had devolved into a demi-God for this rich young man. Jesus provided a way out for him but he refused.
The Bible is filled with wealth warnings. Instead of attempting to explain them away, we should simply embrace them. He’s an article that I wrote that includes twenty-one scripture wealth warnings.
Mark 10:22 (NIV) At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
This man had great wealth and regrettably, great wealth had him.
Is It Impossible For The Rich To Enter The Kingdom of Heaven?
Mark 10:23 (NIV) Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
Money seems to have control over many humans. We spend nearly every waking hour trying to earn it. It keeps us up at night. Prisons are filled with people who have robbed others and murdered people for a temporal substance.
Money is no substitute for God and yet we try to make that swap regularly. We must protect our hearts from the spirit of mammon. Jesus demanded that we deny ourselves and pick up our crosses daily (Luke 9:23).
One practical way that we can do that is by practicing radical generosity. Here’s an article about The Grace of Giving that will help you a ton in that area.
Can A Camel Fit Through The Eye Of A Needle?
Mark 10:24-25 (NIV) The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
Was Jesus using hyperbolic language? Or was He speaking in some secret code?
Members of the Word of Faith / Prosperity Gospel believe that Jesus was essentially speaking in secret code. They are wrong, though.
Kenneth Copeland and friends state that the “eye of the needle” was the entry point into a walled city. Camels couldn’t fit through this “eye” when they were fully packed because they were too tall. The goods needed to be unpacked before the camel walked through the eye. Once the camel was through it could be repacked and could walk around the city.
Translation? This statement was a “test” from Jesus. One needed to agree to give up worldly wealth and then once they were in the Kingdom it could be reacquired.
Poppycock!
He’s saying that builders in that day were ignorant. They refused to create “eyes” that were tall enough to accommodate the primary source of transportation.
He is also contradicting a direct warning from Jesus through hermeneutic gymnastics.
The eye of a needle is an actual sewing needle. A camel can’t fit through the eye of a needle.
Who Then Can Be Saved?
Mark 10:26 (NIV) The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”
The disciples were a bit concerned about their salvation. Peter, James, and John had previously owned a fishing business. Matthew was a tax collector. These four men probably had done pretty well financially in the past. Their question was a fair one!
Matthew 10:27 (NIV) Jesus looked at them and said, “With man, this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
We cannot save ourselves. Our money is no good in heaven. Why do rich people struggle more than those who are not rich with this concept?
Money is a powerful force. The more one has the more one begins to believe their own press. Money does not impress God — at all. In fact, He finds money detestable (Luke 16:14-15). Yet, we continue to amass more and more for often unhealthy reasons. This tends to detract us from God as we begin to worship ourselves, money, and our ability to generate money.
Riches often create a sense of false security. This falsehood can blind us to our need for redemption.
Mark 10:28 (NIV) Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!”
We can always count on Peter to speak up.
Should Christians Experience Persecution?
Mark 10:29-31 (NIV) “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
Does Jesus soften the blow for a life committed to Him? Nope, not at all.
Our friends in the Word of Faith / Prosperity Gospel camp have errantly developed the doctrine of the “Hundred Fold Return” around this and a few other Bible verses.
Will we get hundreds of brothers and sisters and mothers and fathers? That’s entirely possible that we could have that many spiritual family members. Or it’s also possible that Jesus was simply using that number as an arbitrary multiplier. It’s possible that He was not speaking literally in that specific instance.
Persecution, however, is promised throughout the Bible — including post-resurrection. Peter, in his first epistle, used the word “suffer nineteen times. Paul was regularly beaten and often whipped and was left for dead. Jesus explicitly stated that He was going to show Paul how much he must suffer for the name of Christ.
Back To The Rich Young Ruler
Remember, this all started with a young man asking Jesus how to get to heaven. Money was his stumbling block and it’s also the stumbling block of many others as well.
I invite you to practice radical generosity as a way in which to repel the spirit of mammon. Certainly, give to your local church and other Christian organizations. Develop an attitude and discipline of generosity.
What is radical generosity? It’s a consistent effort to give out of your abundance and to be open to give sacrificially when impressed by God (2 Corinthians 9:7).
The amounts are often unimportant. A family mired in debt will have less discretionary income to give. Give in accordance with 2 Corinthians 9:7 and 1 Corinthians 16:2.
Did Jesus Practice Radical Financial Generosity?
Those who have more financial flexibility and freedom should position themselves to imitate Christ in this Bible verse:
2 Corinthians 8:9 (NIV) For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
Jesus was not poor spiritually. He raised the dead and healed the sick at every turn. Jesus modeled His mastery over the natural world by turning water into wine and multiplying fishes and loaves. He also had a full-time treasurer on staff.
Jesus made Himself poor by practicing radical generosity. He wasn’t interested in building an empire of dirt on earth. Jesus, despite what Kenneth Copeland, John Avanzini, Creflo Dollar, and Jesse Duplantis state, Jesus was wearing designer clothes and riding the latest and greatest model of a donkey.
He practiced radical generosity and is inviting us to do the same. His standards are high. He didn’t lower them to make a “cheap conversion” with the rich young ruler.
Jesus is Lord and Master. We should take His words at face value and imitate Him.