The Rich Young Ruler
& Mark 10:17-22
17And as he was going forth into the way, there ran
one to him, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Teacher, what shall I do
that I may inherit eternal life? 18And Jesus said
unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good save one, even God. 19Thou
knowest the commandments, Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do
not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor thy father and mother. 20And he said unto
him, Teacher, all these things have I observed from my youth. 21And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and said unto
him, One thing thou lackest: go, sell whatsoever thou
hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come,
follow me. 22But his
countenance fell at the saying, and he went away sorrowful: for he was one that
had great possessions
A- I call
your attention to these words of verse 21 of our text in Mark chapter 10
" One thing thou lackest:"
1- It seems to us that Jesus never said a more startling thing to any man who came to Him.
" One thing thou lackest:"
2- To the woman taken in adultery,
"go and sin
no more" to even the thief on the cross "this day thou shalt
be with me in
" One thing thou lackest:"
B- I heard a story about a choir that had come to
rehearse for a special occasion,
1- And there was a great grand
piano, and a small harp. The harp was being used. The director curiously turned and asked,
"What is
wrong with the grand piano?" To
which reply was made, "Nothing!"
2- “Why then is it not being used”. The
answer was once again made “ it lacked someone
with the ability to play it”. One thing lacking.... ........
3- An instrument wonderfully made to charm those that hear, but there was one thing lacking, a master hand to touch the keys. Which is a parable of sorts to help us see what Christ meant, " One thing thou lackest:"
I- In order
that we may understand what this lack really was —
1- I am going to ask you first to look carefully at this young man. I want us to note or mark some things about him. I shall say nothing about his wealth just now and nothing concerning his position in the nation, for these are nothing when measuring him light of eternity.
1st- The first thing I say concerning him is that he was a man of great courage.
1- He was a ruler, and so belongedd to a class which had been critical at the commencement of our Lord's ministry, and now openly against Him.
2- Not withstanding this fact, when this man saw goodness in the Savior he confessed daring to say "Good Teacher ".
2nd- He was moreover, a man of humility for coming into the presence of Jesus he knelt,
1- This was not the method by whicch a ruler saluted a peasant. It was as strange then as it would be now for a ruler to bow to a servant.
2- Jesus was most assuredly to hiss age, a peasant, yet here is a man, who is a wealthy ruler, who dared to kneel in His presence.
3- To this courageous, humble, man..... Christ looked at and said: “One thing thou lackest:”
3rd- But he was more than one of courage and
humility.... He had a clean record.
1- Young people there is great value in having a clean record. Even if you are not a Christian, there is value in it.
2- Christ flashed before him the llight of six of the ten commandments from the Decalogue. Not the 1st (4) which indicate what man’s relationship ought to be with God,. but the last (6) which condition the relationship of man to his neighbor.
19Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. Mark 10:19
3- Perhaps here is where most of us would have drifted off. But this man as he heard these, looked into the face of Jesus and said…
"Master, all these have I observed from my youth"
A- I have heard it said that this may have been only an empty boast and was probably not true.
1- I do not believe it. I believe his statement was the simple honest truth. Jesus never condemned him for a lie or hypocrisy. I believe the ruler standing here in the present of the Good Teacher, Was able to say concerning these ancient commandments "All these things I have observed from my youth." Immediately following this statement we have recorded "21Then Jesus looking upon him loved him,"
2- This statement does not surprise us for we read in & Romans 5:8
8God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
B- It is noticeable however that at this point the writer declares
1- "21Then Jesus looking upon him loved him," - I do not think you will ever find it declared that Christ looked a hypocrite or a liar and then inspiration declare
“Jesus looking upon him loved him,"
2- There is however a sense in whiich He loves all men. But never in
the act of sinning. Christ's anger was hot in the presence of lying and
hypocrisy. This young man said Master, all these have I observed from my youth" Morally then, he had a clean record.
4th- But again, he was a man of true ambitions .. What was the question he directed to Christ?
"Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"
1- It is perfectly evident that heere was a man conscious of a lack. All his wealth could not purchase that something which he desired. He was a man of position, but his position could not command that which he supremely came seeking. It was life that he needed, it was eternal life that he came seeking. "Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" “Eternal Life” the inheritance of the righteous faithful. It is more than escape from the eternal fires of hell, it is living eternally with Deity — being like our Savior and Master & 1 John 3:1-3
1Behold, what manner of love the Father hath
bestowed upon us, that we should be called the children of God; and such we are. For this cause the world
knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2Beloved, now are
we children of God, and it is not yet made manifest what we shall be. We know
that, if he shall be manifested, we shall be like him; for we shall see him
even as he is. 3And every one that
hath this hope set on him
purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
J- His clean moral life did not satisfy his inner most needs. There was a lack.,
1- He knew he was more than flesh and blood, he knew he needed more than could be satisfied by wealth or power. He wanted life, he desired to take hold of that which can satisfy the deepest desires in a man. ETERNAL LIFE
K-
"Good
Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"
19Thou knowest the commandments, Do not
commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud
not, Honour thy father and mother. 20And
he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.
1- A good man a moral man, a courageous man of good temperament, and true ambition and to this man Christ says: “One thing thou lackest:”
II- And now the Master Physician deals with the one thing he lacked.
A-
What was Christ's final word to the rich
young ruler?
"come, take up the cross, and follow me"
1- This man's lack was that he hadd placed his trust in his possessions rather than in seeking God. He had lived his life in view of God, but his trust was in his possessions. Jesus stated in John 17:3
3And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
********************************************
One thing thou lackest:
go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt
have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.
B But let me
take you a little further back for a moment—
1- This man first came to Jesus and said — 17Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? 18And
Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is
none good but one, that is, God.
2- I do not believe that was an idle question
Jesus asked "Why callest thou me good?"
I do not believe that it was spoken
carelessly. I think that when our Lord asked the question He desired to arrest
this man's attention and to leave an
impression upon his mind. I know there are different interpretations of
Christ's answer. Look at it — Christ was stating only that which is stated elsewhere
in scriptures. Psalm 14:3 and is quoted in Romans 3:10-18 all have sinned….
3- Thus when Christ said, "Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God " He meant one of two things… He either meant I am not good, or — I am God. I do not think you can escape the alternative. Either Christ denied Deity and goodness, or He claimed both Deity and Goodness. And thus Jesus claims for Himself here both goodness and Deity. "Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God "
III- But now
, how is this man to follow Christ? What stands in his way?
A- His possessions —
1- All the things that have contriibuted to his own selfish life stand in the way, and now Christ says: "Put all of them away, and follow me." "go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven:" - You will lose your treasure for a season, but you will grasp it for the ages… Christ recommends to this man to invest his treasure is such a way that rust cannot corrupt it, and thieves cannot break it and steal it. Put all these things aside and FOLLOW ME.
2- What happened? Alternatively we do not know. The story is left at a point full of sadness
but full of suggestiveness. We have no right to say this man did not find
eternal life. We do not know this — But this we know, "22he was grieved at the saying, of Christ and went away sorrowful: for he had great
possessions."
B-
Sorrowful is the most hopeful word in this statement¾
1- He had heard the voice of the SSon of God, calling to him concerning his great desire for eternal life,… "Sell all, give it to the poor and follow Me"
Just perhaps going away sorrowful, he had reflected later upon the words of Christ, thinking "I have seen life and I must have it" Call in my steward, render an account of my possessions. If he did that he answered the call of Jesus, to find eternal life.
2- Or perhaps he later said to himself, "That was a strange request that peasant made upon me… Why would I kneel to a peasant anyway… I thought He could say something about eternal life…." And gradually he would argue himself right out of the thing.
C- I read where a certain member of congress had laughed in the presence of a great meeting, as he told them that he had nearly been persuaded to be born again several years earlier.
1- Beloved — when a man has stood face to face with the message of Christ as was the case of this young ruler. He is never the same. Either he will obey the call and be better for it, or reject the message of Christ and be worse for it…. No man is ever the same after having heard the gospel. Either he will accept and become better or reject and become more hardened in sin. —
D- Whether the young ruler finally accepted or rejected the words of Christ, we can not tell,
1- In the story of Acts we often read of a great number of priest and ruler that were obedient to the faith.....
E- But this I do know, from that hour he was never the same.
1- Either the sorrow with which hee turned away from Christ,, was turned to joy in obedience, thereby finding life eternal….or the sorrow passed to numbness and he became to use the word of the Hebrew writer "HARDENED"
IV- My
brothers, sisters and friends, this story needs very little application —
A- You say
"Bro. Cope it is an old
story."
1- It is as fresh as today.. You ssay, "but it happened a long time ago"… It happens everyday.. There are those here who have fine morals, kind, and discerning as was this young man…. You have certain aspirations, your presence today proves it,
2- You came in your way…. seeking God. There is in your soul, as in all our souls, a desire for life eternal… And just now as Christ's invitation is to be offered… Christ is saying to you "One thing thou lackest"
3- Christ may not saying to some oof you, " go sell whatsoever you have, and give to the poor " He will say something else to you. "One thing thou lackest"
B- What Christ saying to you, I do not know,
1- But I know that He is bidding &"Come Follow Me." What one thing is lacking that you should follow Jesus into life eternal?
2- There is not one person here whho has rejected Christ's invitation, but knows what stands between you and God..
3- What stands between? Right hand,,,,,, left hand? Cut if off… your brother, sister, father, mother, husband, or wife?
4- Jesus words are: Put it off, then come follow Me,
C- Extend the
Lord's Invitation