Luk 18:19 | KingComments | STEP | A ruler comes to the Lord with a question. His question shows that he trusts in the goodness of himself and that because of this the mind of a child lacks with him. He does not understand that nothing good is found in man. He believes he can do something to inherit eternal life, while only those who become as children can receive eternal life by grace. Eternal life is the life of the kingdom. Hence he speaks about inheriting it. His request to inherit eternal life means that he wants to enter the kingdom. The answer given by the Lord must make the ruler think. In His answer, the Lord asks why he calls Him “good Teacher”. The Lord does not wait for His answer, but helps him on his way by saying to him that no one is good except God alone. If the ruler means that He is really good, he will have to acknowledge Him as God. If He means that He, as a human being, and no more than a human being, is a good teacher, someone from whom you can learn how to inherit eternal life, the ruler is blind to His glory. The Lord knows what is in the heart of the ruler. To make him see it for himself, He tells him what he can do to inherit the kingdom. That is simply keeping the law. The Lord therefore confronts him with the commandments. He does not ask if the ruler knows them, for He knows that he knows them. Knowing the commandments and actually keeping them, however, are two things. The Lord holds out to him five commandments and not all ten. And note what commandments He presents to the ruler. The five He confronts him with are commandments that govern the relationship between men. In all sincerity, the ruler can say that he kept these commandments from his youth. It does not sound like boasting. Nor does the Lord rebuke him as one who pretends to be pious, while in his inner being he is no good. At the same time, his answer proves that he has no sense of sin at all and that he therefore does not know God and Christ. Then the Lord comes to the essence. He says to the ruler that he lacks one thing. He knows that the ruler is rich and that his heart is attached to his possessions. By saying to him that he must sell everything and distribute it to the poor, He puts him to the test. If he really desires eternal life, he will do everything for it. If he does what the Lord says, it has a twofold effect for him. He will be assured of treasure in heaven. He may also come to the Lord and follow Him. Following the Lord means rejection on earth, but in the future the enjoyment of the treasure. It is about Who the “Me” Who says this is for the heart. That determines everything. When He stands before the attention, there is power to leave everything on earth and there is faith that the true treasure is in heaven. When the ruler hears what the Lord asks, he does not get angry, but very sad. He sees the reality before him that he must give up everything to inherit eternal life and he cannot give up his possessions. They are too precious for him. That’s because he doesn’t see any attraction in the Lord Jesus and the things He holds out to him. The ruler would have wanted to buy eternal life with his wealth, but to sell and give away everything and then go a way of humiliation in the faith that the treasure is safe in heaven, that he does not want. The Lord has put His finger on the covetousness which dominates him and which is nourished by the wealth he possesses. The riches that seem to be a sign of God’s favor in man’s eyes only appear to be an obstacle when it comes to his heart and to heaven. The Lord’s question makes it clear that he loves his wealth, his money, mammon, something he had never expected of himself before. Now comes to light what has always been dormant in him. This happens because he is in the presence of Him Who, while He was rich, became poor for our sakes, in order that we might become rich by His poverty ( ). The ruler found his position and his possessions valuable and could not tolerate having nothing and being nothing. What a difference with Him Who “did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, being made in the likeness of men”. This is already a tremendously deep humiliation, but it goes much deeper. “Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” ( ). When the Lord sees that the ruler is saddened, He points to the danger of wealth as an obstacle to enter the kingdom of God. He compares a rich person to a camel who is unable to go through the eye of a needle and often has so much cargo that it becomes even more impossible to go through it. The metaphor is an exaggeration that clearly indicates to everyone that a rich man who depends on his money cannot enter the kingdom. Someone who has a lot of money and possessions can often find it difficult to give that up. To enter the kingdom, all riches, whether material or spiritual and intellectual, must be renounced.

‏ Luke 18:19

The Rich Ruler

A ruler comes to the Lord with a question. His question shows that he trusts in the goodness of himself and that because of this the mind of a child lacks with him. He does not understand that nothing good is found in man. He believes he can do something to inherit eternal life, while only those who become as children can receive eternal life by grace. Eternal life is the life of the kingdom. Hence he speaks about inheriting it. His request to inherit eternal life means that he wants to enter the kingdom.

The answer given by the Lord must make the ruler think. In His answer, the Lord asks why he calls Him “good Teacher”. The Lord does not wait for His answer, but helps him on his way by saying to him that no one is good except God alone. If the ruler means that He is really good, he will have to acknowledge Him as God. If He means that He, as a human being, and no more than a human being, is a good teacher, someone from whom you can learn how to inherit eternal life, the ruler is blind to His glory.

The Lord knows what is in the heart of the ruler. To make him see it for himself, He tells him what he can do to inherit the kingdom. That is simply keeping the law. The Lord therefore confronts him with the commandments. He does not ask if the ruler knows them, for He knows that he knows them. Knowing the commandments and actually keeping them, however, are two things. The Lord holds out to him five commandments and not all ten. And note what commandments He presents to the ruler. The five He confronts him with are commandments that govern the relationship between men.

In all sincerity, the ruler can say that he kept these commandments from his youth. It does not sound like boasting. Nor does the Lord rebuke him as one who pretends to be pious, while in his inner being he is no good. At the same time, his answer proves that he has no sense of sin at all and that he therefore does not know God and Christ.

Then the Lord comes to the essence. He says to the ruler that he lacks one thing. He knows that the ruler is rich and that his heart is attached to his possessions. By saying to him that he must sell everything and distribute it to the poor, He puts him to the test. If he really desires eternal life, he will do everything for it.

If he does what the Lord says, it has a twofold effect for him. He will be assured of treasure in heaven. He may also come to the Lord and follow Him. Following the Lord means rejection on earth, but in the future the enjoyment of the treasure. It is about Who the “Me” Who says this is for the heart. That determines everything. When He stands before the attention, there is power to leave everything on earth and there is faith that the true treasure is in heaven.

When the ruler hears what the Lord asks, he does not get angry, but very sad. He sees the reality before him that he must give up everything to inherit eternal life and he cannot give up his possessions. They are too precious for him. That’s because he doesn’t see any attraction in the Lord Jesus and the things He holds out to him. The ruler would have wanted to buy eternal life with his wealth, but to sell and give away everything and then go a way of humiliation in the faith that the treasure is safe in heaven, that he does not want.

The Lord has put His finger on the covetousness which dominates him and which is nourished by the wealth he possesses. The riches that seem to be a sign of God’s favor in man’s eyes only appear to be an obstacle when it comes to his heart and to heaven.

The Lord’s question makes it clear that he loves his wealth, his money, mammon, something he had never expected of himself before. Now comes to light what has always been dormant in him. This happens because he is in the presence of Him Who, while He was rich, became poor for our sakes, in order that we might become rich by His poverty (2Cor 8:9). The ruler found his position and his possessions valuable and could not tolerate having nothing and being nothing.

What a difference with Him Who “did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, being made in the likeness of men”. This is already a tremendously deep humiliation, but it goes much deeper. “Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil 2:6-8).

When the Lord sees that the ruler is saddened, He points to the danger of wealth as an obstacle to enter the kingdom of God. He compares a rich person to a camel who is unable to go through the eye of a needle and often has so much cargo that it becomes even more impossible to go through it.

The metaphor is an exaggeration that clearly indicates to everyone that a rich man who depends on his money cannot enter the kingdom. Someone who has a lot of money and possessions can often find it difficult to give that up. To enter the kingdom, all riches, whether material or spiritual and intellectual, must be renounced.