Mar 10:17-18 | KingComments | STEP | When the Lord leaves the house, someone comes to Him quickly. He has gone up the way and is therefore accessible to those who need Him. The rich young man – that he is, we know from other Gospels – seems to have been waiting for Him to come out. He falls on his knees before Him as a tribute. Yet his words show that he does not realize before Whom he is kneeling. He sees in Christ only a “good Teacher” Who can tell him how to inherit eternal life. He sees in Him a perfect Someone, but no more than that. He thinks he can learn from Christ to become perfect as well. That is why he asks his question. His question implies that he thinks he is capable of doing good, but that he doesn’t know what it is and how to do it. In doing so, he relies on his own human strength. He has seen the Lord Jesus do good. That is why he turns to Him with sincerity in order to learn from Him the way that leads to eternal life. There is an honest desire in him to learn a new lesson and take a new step in doing good things. We see a natural person who is doing his best to do good and has the intention to do even better. However, he is fundamentally on the wrong track because his question assumes that man, as he is, is good and can do good. The Lord’s answer shows that He is not impressed by the young man’s approach and tribute. He asks why he calls Him good. The young man could only say that if he also saw God in Him, for only God is good. The Lord says, as it were: ‘If I am not God, I am not good.’ The young man does not approach him as God. He sees only one particularly good person in Him. But then you are completely wrong about His Person and you cannot learn from Him how you can inherit eternal life. However, if the young man wants to inherit eternal life by doing good, then the Lord has a standard. That standard is the old way, that of the law. It states how a man can earn life. After all, the law says that the man who does God’s statutes and judgments will live ( ). As an example the Lord mentions some commandments. He consciously only mentions the commandments that govern the relationship between people, not those that govern the relationship with God. Of the commandments He mentions, the man can say that he has kept them conscientiously. There is no pride or arrogance in his statement. He has sincerely kept those commandments. Similarly, Saul, like this young man, was blameless according to the law ( ). But once Saul has seen Who Christ is, he gives up everything. Once he has seen Christ in glory, he no longer wants any righteousness of his own, for that would be a human, carnal righteousness. He possessed the righteousness of God through faith. Then the righteousness for which he had made such an effort no longer has any value. The young man is not a hypocrite. The Lord looks at him and sees his sincerity. Then we read of the Lord’s love for an unregenerate man. It is a love because of the natural attractions a natural man can have. The young man had really kept these commandments, not as a Pharisee, to impress others, but in the conviction that this was the way to life. Nevertheless, he had not yet found in them the satisfaction he was looking for in his heart. This is because he was looking for eternal life in the wrong way. He believed that the Lord would point out to him a work of the law that would bring him the desired eternal life as merit. With all his efforts and what he has already acquired, the young man is on the way to hell. There is a way that appears to be straight, but leads to death ( ). That way is the young man’s way. The Lord shows him the right way and that is a work of faith. If he really wants to be like Christ, then he must do what He has done. He is now testing the young man’s heart and not just his outward behavior that is blameless. By pointing out to him what he lacks, He exposes the young man’s attachment to his earthly possessions. If he were to abandon them, give them to the poor, he would receive from Him treasure in heaven. The Lord invites him to follow Him until he receives this treasure. What He asks the young man to do, He Himself has done to a much greater extent. He was rich and became poor for our sake, so that we might become rich through His poverty ( ). Here it appears that the young man lacks faith. He cannot give up the visible earth for the invisible heaven. The simple but powerful word of the Lord reveals the coveting of his heart. He prefers his money to God revealed in love and grace.

‏ Mark 10:17-18

To Inherit Eternal Life

When the Lord leaves the house, someone comes to Him quickly. He has gone up the way and is therefore accessible to those who need Him. The rich young man – that he is, we know from other Gospels – seems to have been waiting for Him to come out. He falls on his knees before Him as a tribute.

Yet his words show that he does not realize before Whom he is kneeling. He sees in Christ only a “good Teacher” Who can tell him how to inherit eternal life. He sees in Him a perfect Someone, but no more than that. He thinks he can learn from Christ to become perfect as well. That is why he asks his question.

His question implies that he thinks he is capable of doing good, but that he doesn’t know what it is and how to do it. In doing so, he relies on his own human strength. He has seen the Lord Jesus do good. That is why he turns to Him with sincerity in order to learn from Him the way that leads to eternal life.

There is an honest desire in him to learn a new lesson and take a new step in doing good things. We see a natural person who is doing his best to do good and has the intention to do even better. However, he is fundamentally on the wrong track because his question assumes that man, as he is, is good and can do good.

The Lord’s answer shows that He is not impressed by the young man’s approach and tribute. He asks why he calls Him good. The young man could only say that if he also saw God in Him, for only God is good. The Lord says, as it were: ‘If I am not God, I am not good.’ The young man does not approach him as God. He sees only one particularly good person in Him. But then you are completely wrong about His Person and you cannot learn from Him how you can inherit eternal life.

However, if the young man wants to inherit eternal life by doing good, then the Lord has a standard. That standard is the old way, that of the law. It states how a man can earn life. After all, the law says that the man who does God’s statutes and judgments will live (Lev 18:5). As an example the Lord mentions some commandments. He consciously only mentions the commandments that govern the relationship between people, not those that govern the relationship with God.

Of the commandments He mentions, the man can say that he has kept them conscientiously. There is no pride or arrogance in his statement. He has sincerely kept those commandments. Similarly, Saul, like this young man, was blameless according to the law (Phil 3:6). But once Saul has seen Who Christ is, he gives up everything. Once he has seen Christ in glory, he no longer wants any righteousness of his own, for that would be a human, carnal righteousness. He possessed the righteousness of God through faith. Then the righteousness for which he had made such an effort no longer has any value.

The young man is not a hypocrite. The Lord looks at him and sees his sincerity. Then we read of the Lord’s love for an unregenerate man. It is a love because of the natural attractions a natural man can have. The young man had really kept these commandments, not as a Pharisee, to impress others, but in the conviction that this was the way to life.

Nevertheless, he had not yet found in them the satisfaction he was looking for in his heart. This is because he was looking for eternal life in the wrong way. He believed that the Lord would point out to him a work of the law that would bring him the desired eternal life as merit. With all his efforts and what he has already acquired, the young man is on the way to hell. There is a way that appears to be straight, but leads to death (Pro 14:12). That way is the young man’s way.

The Lord shows him the right way and that is a work of faith. If he really wants to be like Christ, then he must do what He has done. He is now testing the young man’s heart and not just his outward behavior that is blameless. By pointing out to him what he lacks, He exposes the young man’s attachment to his earthly possessions. If he were to abandon them, give them to the poor, he would receive from Him treasure in heaven. The Lord invites him to follow Him until he receives this treasure.

What He asks the young man to do, He Himself has done to a much greater extent. He was rich and became poor for our sake, so that we might become rich through His poverty (2Cor 8:9). Here it appears that the young man lacks faith. He cannot give up the visible earth for the invisible heaven. The simple but powerful word of the Lord reveals the coveting of his heart. He prefers his money to God revealed in love and grace.