Mark 10:17-27: “And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. Thou 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. And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, 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. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions. And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.”
The Man
In Matthew’s account of this encounter with Christ, this man was referred to as a “young man” – meaning between 24 and 40 years old. See Matthew 19:22: “But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.” In Luke’s account, he is also referred to as a “ruler” – meaning he was a Jewish leader, possibly a leader of a synagogue and member of the Sanhedrin, like Nicodemus. See Luke 18:18: “And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” All three gospel accounts tell us he was a rich man.
Mark’s passage opens with the phrase: “As He was setting out on a journey…” Jesus was leaving town. This would be the man’s last chance to ask his question of Jesus. So, he runs up to Jesus, and falls on his knees before Him. This is a picture of urgency, earnestness, and humility. The man seems to be serious about inheriting eternal life. His question tells us some things about him: “Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”
Good in the Bible Meaning
The Issue of “How”
As we look at how the “issue of how” relates to this man, I think it good that, as we go along, to also comment on “how” we should relate to people when giving them the message of the kingdom and discipleship. Quite simply, the best practice in relating to people is to do it the way Jesus did, including sharing the message of Christ in the same spirit that He did.
Now, instead of creating in our minds an assumed image of “how” Jesus related to people, we should base our model on what the Scripture says about it. If we let the Scripture speak for itself, I think we can conclude that “being nice” doesn’t seem to be an adequate description of the spirit in which Jesus related to people.
Isaiah gives us a detailed description of the spirit in which Christ came – note the variety and range. See Isaiah 11:2-5: “And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.”
Without taking time to elaborate on each of these qualities, suffice to say, we should endeavor to follow this spirit, and maybe we could summarize it as the apostle John did: a spirit of “grace and truth” in John 1:14 and John 1:17:
- John 1:14: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
- John 1:17: “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”
Now, for the Issue of “how” as it relates to this man: For some reason or reasons, the man must have been feeling spiritually insecure, or he would not have even asked the question: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” We can conclude he was more aligned with the conservative Pharisees rather than the liberal Sadducees because he obviously believed in eternal life, whereas the Sadducees did not. So, like the Pharisees, he was probably quite serious about holiness, albeit in externalisms.
Mark 10:21 says: “Then Jesus beholding him loved him…” I think we can assume this man was a sincere seeker.
But his question also reveals that he did not understand how eternal life was inherited. He was sincere but sincerely wrong. Jesus discerned this immediately. Jesus discerned this man’s heart, and, cutting through all this man’s religiosity, Jesus proceeded to speak directly to his heart.
The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 2:15: “But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.” By being sensitive to the Holy Spirit, we can learn to be spiritually discerning when witnessing to people – discerning the person’s heart and addressing the heart of the matter with the Word of God in the Spirit of God. In this way, the person will have an encounter with God, and not merely an encounter with us, and the Gospel will be presented on God’s terms with all His reality and power.
The man asked Jesus: “Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” Christ said to him: “Why callest thou me good?” Jesus answered this man’s question with another question. He did this frequently. Questions reveal the heart – to the one asking the question, but also to the one answering the question.
When telling the Parable of the Sower, Jesus quoted the Prophet Isaiah from Matthew 13:14-15 and Isaiah 6:9-10:
- Matthew 13:14-15: “And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.”
- Isaiah 6:9-10: “And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.”
When speaking to non-believers, making statements to the ears when the heart has no understanding, can be a waste of time – actually further dulling the heart by giving them information they did not ask for. This is why Jesus answered the man’s question with another question. It is better to ask questions that will reveal and bring understanding to the person’s heart than the ears will be able to receive statements, because the person may actually begin asking, seeking, knocking. See Matthew 7:6-7:
- Matthew 7:6-7: “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:”
Repentance is a change in the way one thinks. To ask questions stirs up the person’s thinking. This is what Landa Cope has termed the “Principle of Provocation” – a principle of communication Jesus employed often.
The Issue of “Good”
Let’s take a close look at these questions: “Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” and “Why callest thou me good?” The man did not address Jesus as “God” or “Lord”, but as “Good Master.” In other words, he did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah or Savior, or even a prophet for that matter.
Jesus discerned that if this man considered Him to be merely a “good” teacher, he was also likely to consider himself to be a “good” person – specifically a “goodness” based upon his own ability to keep the commandments, as he had offered in verse 20: “Master, all these have I observed from my youth.”
In verse 17, the man asked: “what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” Like, “Just tell me what I need to do, and I’ll do it – no problem.” The assumption is that he is “good enough” to please God. This is similar to when a group of people asked Jesus: “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?”
Jesus answered and said to them in John 6:28-29: “Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.”
In other words, the way it works with God is not by you pleasing God with your good works; but by you believing, trusting in, and utterly depending upon the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul explained the way it works in Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
This man did not comprehend his spiritual condition or the whole of the human condition. The prophet Isaiah said in Isaiah 64:6: “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”
The Apostle Paul describes the human condition by quoting the psalmist, David in Romans 3:11-12, Psalm 14:1-3, and Psalm 53:1-3:
- Romans 3:11-12: “There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”
- Psalm 14:1-3: “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”
- Psalm 53:1-3: “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good. God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God. Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”
Theologians have come to refer to this condition as “total depravity.” The doctrine of total depravity is derived from “original sin.” See Romans 5:12-21: “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: hat as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.”
This is an acknowledgment that the Scriptures teach that as a result of the fall of man every part of man—his will, mind, emotions and flesh—have been corrupted by sin. See Genesis 3:6: “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.”
In his epistle to the Romans, the Apostle Paul quotes extensively from the Old Testament to explain how fallen, unredeemed humanity really is: We see that no one is without sin, no one seeks after God, there is no one who is good, their speech is corrupted by sin, their actions are corrupted by sin, and above all, they have no fear of God.
See Romans 3:9-18, 23: “What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
What the Scriptures teach is that even the “good” things man does are tainted by sin because they are not done for the glory of God and out of faith in Him. See Romans 14:23 and Hebrews 11:6:
- Romans 14:23: “And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”
- Hebrews 11:6: “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
While man looks upon the outward acts and judges them to be good, God looks upon not only the outward acts but also the inward motives that lie behind them; and because they proceed from a heart that is in rebellion against Him they are not done for His glory, even these good deeds are like “filthy rags” in His sight.
See 1 Samuel 16:7: “But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.”
In other words, fallen man’s “good” deeds are motivated not by a desire to please God but by self-interest and are thus corrupted to the point where God declares that there is “none that doeth good, no, not one.”
Here are a few more Scriptures which describe the fallen condition of the human heart:
- Jeremiah 17:9: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”
Proverbs 16:2 shares some wisdom on how God views the condition of the fallen human heart:
- Proverbs 16:2: “All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits.”
- Proverbs 21:2: “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.”
- Proverbs 17:2: “A wise servant shall have rule over a son that causeth shame, and shall have part of the inheritance among the brethren.”
And we are advised to:
- Proverbs 3:5: “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”
Since the teaching of Scripture flies in the face of the concept of humanity’s innate goodness, it leaves one asking the same question the disciples asked of Jesus: “Then who can be saved?”
Looking at them, Jesus said in Mark 10:26-27: “And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.”
So, Jesus says to this man: “No one is good except God alone.” And to demonstrate to him that no one is “good enough” to please God, Jesus gave him a commandment he could not keep. It was like Jesus was saying to him: “Oh, I see where you are coming from – you think you can please God by your good works – hmm, let’s see, O.K., how about this one: “sell all you possess and give to the poor.”
See Mark 10:21: “Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, 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.”
Try that one on for size. With the hypocrites, Jesus could be quite harsh (Editor’s note: See Matthew 23:1-39). With the sinners, Jesus could be quite patient (Editor’s note: See John 4:1-26). With sincere seekers like Nicodemus and this man, Jesus did not make small talk and exchange pleasantries, but rather, He would get right to the point.
Like Nicodemus, this man needed to abandon some wrong presuppositions and learn the truth regarding his spiritual state before he could progress further in spiritual truth (Editor’s note: See John 3:1-21).
The Issue of “All of the Law”
See Mark 10:21 and Luke 18:22:
- Mark 10:21: “Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, 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.”
- Luke 18:22: “Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.”
This “call for all” is at the heart of Jesus’ Gospel of the Kingdom and His call to discipleship. Before giving a few more examples of what has come to be known as “the hard sayings of Jesus”, I want to point out when Jesus chose to make these statements about the kingdom and discipleship. Throughout the Gospels and the Book of Acts, whether encountering hypocrites, seekers, or sinners, Jesus, and His disciples, are always totally “up front” with people on the nature of the Kingdom and discipleship.
Specifically, before the “not-yet followers” become followers, they are told in no uncertain terms the nature of the call; i.e. all.
Some people are and will be offended by the cross of Christ, but everyone is offended when they eventually find out they were not told all the truth. I must add, I don’t think the Lord takes kindly to being misrepresented either. Jesus and His disciples did not always take time to read the people the “fine print”; but they always gave them the “bottom line” – “up front.”
Now, a few more examples of those “hard sayings of Jesus” calling for all. See Matthew 13:44-46 and Luke 14:33:
- Matthew 13:44-46: “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.”
- Luke 14:33: “So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.”
So, how are we to understand these “hard sayings of Jesus” calling for all? I think the testimony of the Apostle Paul may give us a key that we can apply to these sayings of Jesus. See Philippians 3:7-9: “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:”
Based on what He said in Mark 10:21, Jesus was presenting to the man the all of the Law: “Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, 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.”
Just after His encounter with this man, Jesus said to a scribe that he was not far from the kingdom of God if he understood the summary of the Law in Mark 12:34: “And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.”
To inherit eternal life one must be convinced that one needs to be saved – convinced that you are not “good”, or even “good enough” – convinced that no one is “good” except God alone. The Apostle James helps to convince us of that with his statement in James 2:10: “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”
The Apostle Paul concurs that if someone receives a part of the Law, he is under obligation to keep the whole law. See Galatians 5:3: “For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.”
This indeed is “the curse of the law.” See Galatians 3:13: “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:”
Yet, Jesus did not tell these men to forget about trying to keep the Law. In fact, in answer to the man’s question about what he must do to inherit eternal life, Jesus directed him to the Law. See Mark 10:18 and Luke 10:25-26:
- Mark 10:18: “Thou 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.”
- Luke 10:25-26: “And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?”
Like the Apostle Paul, Jesus believed that “the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.” according to Romans 7:12. The Apostle Paul also said in Galatians 3:24: “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”
The Holy Spirit working through the Law, disciplines, trains and guides us to Christ. How? By convincing us that we can never be justified in God’s sight by working to keep the Law – it will require faith in Christ – being utterly dependent on the work of Christ.
The Holy Spirit working through the Law, sovereignly brings a person face to face with the same realities the Apostle Paul speaks of in his epistles to the churches. See 1 Corinthians 15:56: “The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.”
Now see Romans 3:19-23 and Romans 3:27-28:
- Romans 3:19-23: “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
- Romans 3:27-28: “Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”
The purpose of the Law was to convince us that we can never be justified in God’s sight by working to keep the Law – it will require faith in Christ – being utterly dependent on the work of Christ. The purpose of the Law was to convince us that we need to be saved – to convince us that we are not “good”, or even “good enough” – to convince us that no one is “good” except God alone.
But what is the key to such a transformation in the human heart? While saying that it is hard for self-sufficient, fallen humanity to enter the kingdom of God, Jesus also stated in the very first beatitude (Matthew 5:3): “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Being “poor in spirit” is a key to the kingdom. What does it mean to be “poor in spirit”?
There are two different Greek words which are both translated as “poor.” Which “poor” did Jesus mean? One Greek word is penichros, which means “to be needy.” The other word, which is the one Jesus used, is ptochos. It means “to be a beggar.” A “needy” person has work to meet his own needs – he is just “a little short this month” and needs help. A “beggar” has no work and is totally dependent upon someone meeting his needs. A person who “has a need” is not really a candidate for salvation.
Only destitute, desperate “beggars” can really get saved. The prerequisite for salvation is recognizing sin. See Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” Only sinners can get saved – if you want to get saved, you have to be a sinner.
We need to know, understand, and live in these realities in order to communicate them to people. This working of “all” of the Law starts the process of true conversion. Only “all” of the Law will lead people to true faith in Christ. Without the “all” of the Law, the idea of sin is meaningless. Without the idea of sin, the idea of salvation is meaningless.
Without the issue of the “all” of the Law, the idea of righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ is also meaningless. According to John 16:8: “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:” If we are to work in sync with Him, and not against Him in this, we must know, understand, and live in these realities in order to be able to communicate these realities.
We cannot give people a different message. The Apostle Paul’s letter to the Galatians was written expressly to clarify these things to the Church. See Galatiant 1:6-10: “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.”
We cannot give people a different message. This is the message that Jesus, the Great Evangelist, was presenting to this man. I am that man. You are that man. We must be authentic regarding our spirituality – we must know, understand, and live in these realities. Our message must be authentic – we cannot give people a different message.
The Issue of “Wealth”
And what was the man’s response to this message? See Mark 10:22-27: “And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions. And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.”
This passage simply and plainly tells us that, when required to make a choice, the man chose his material wealth over eternal life. It made him sad to do this because he wanted both the eternal life and the material wealth. In his particular case, Jesus discerned that it would be necessary for him to have to choose between the two. But Jesus also says that to choose eternal life over material wealth is a hard decision – not an impossible one, but a hard one.
This whole issue is very complex. Does Jesus require all people to give their wealth in exchange for eternal life? That would contradict the Biblical doctrine from Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
We can’t buy salvation with money, nor earn it with works. Is material wealth on a type of sliding scale – where the further up the scale, the more spiritually unfit we are, and the further down the scale, the more spiritually fit we are? I don’t think we can make that argument from Scripture. In fact, great men of God cited in the Bible came in both varieties – both wealthy and poor.
The Issue of “Self”
So, exactly what is this dynamic that exists between wealth and eternal life? See 1 Timothy 6:10: “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”
It is not the wealth itself, but rather a posture that may accompany the wealth which is problematic. The fact is, one can have the same posture without wealth – many, many poor people actually have this posture. And what posture is that? Self-sufficiency.
I think it is easy to see how wealth can foster this posture of self-sufficiency – after all, it seems that money can buy everything from friends to fame, from opportunity to security, from pleasure to power. If we have enough money, we actually tend to believe we can take care of ourselves in this life. This isn’t exactly true because, in reality, one cannot depend upon money – it is uncertain – it can fail – that is the “uncertainty” of riches. See 1 Timothy 6:17:
- 1 Timothy 6:17: “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;”
But still, if we have wealth, there is a very strong tendency to fix our faith and hope on our wealth, adopt an overall posture of self-sufficiency, and not really perceive our utter dependence upon God. This is exactly what the Apostle Paul was warning the Church about in the verse above.
But why were the disciples astonished that this man would not enter the kingdom of God? The explanation can be as simple as the fact that the Jews believed that wealth was a sign of God’s blessing (see Leviticus and Deuteronomy). Therefore they wondered, if the rich, who were assumed to be righteous, could not be saved, then who can?
I think it is also possible that the disciples were astonished specifically because of the obvious tendency for human beings, especially wealthy ones, to put their faith and hope in riches. In other words, based on their observations of the rich, but also because of being painfully aware of their own tendencies toward self-sufficiency, the disciples were wondering what could possibly change this corruption in the human heart.
Have you ever wondered the same?
This posture of self-sufficiency is a fundamental symptom of fallen humanity, for it is that posture that deceived Adam and Eve to think they could live life independently of God and His Law. This posture, by the way, does not immediately vanish when we become Christians. This same posture constructed a roadblock to the kingdom of God for this man we see Jesus addressing also in Revelation 3:17: “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:”
Here we can see that the material self-sufficiency “spills over” into spiritual self-sufficiency. It is that fundamental posture inherited from the fall that deceives us into trusting in our own resources – forging ahead, trusting in the “goodness” of our willpower, our intellect, our emotions, our physical prowess, our talents, our skills, and our abilities – rather than drawing near in dependence upon God to sift and purify our heart motivations.
I hope to convince you that this posture of self-sufficiency is the very antithesis of authentic Christianity.
Circumcision, “the cutting away of the flesh”, was a ritual given by God as the sign and seal of the covenant He made with Abraham. See Genesis 17:14: “And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.”
Circumcision became the identifying mark of those households that belonged to God. See Genesis 17:10-13: “This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.”
Abraham is called “the father of all them that believe.” See Romans 4:11: “And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:”
God considered Abraham righteous because of his faith, and circumcision was the sign of Abraham’s faith in God. See Romans 4:3: “For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.”
Under the New Covenant, the “cutting away of the flesh” came to have spiritual implications. The Apostle Paul spoke of it in these terms, in Romans 2:28-29: “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.”
This “cutting away of the “flesh” is a pronouncement of what one does and does not have faith in. It is a statement that one does not have faith in – does not depend upon – “the flesh”, but rather upon God. The term flesh in the New Testament most often refers to the law or principle of sin at work within us. See Romans 7:21-25 and 8:2 vs. 8:24:
- Romans 7:21-25: “I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.”
- Romans 8:2: “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”
- Romans 8:24: “For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?”
The term flesh basically encapsulates that posture of relying on our own resources – forging ahead, trusting in the “goodness” of our willpower, our intellect, our emotions, our physical prowess, our talents, our skills, and our abilities – rather than drawing near in dependence upon God. See Romans 13:14, Ephesians 4:22-32, Colossians 2:11-12, and Colossians 3:1-11:
- Romans 13:14: “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.”
- Ephesians 4:22-32: “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”
- Colossians 2:11-12: “In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.”
- Colossians 3:1-11: “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.”
So this “circumcision of the heart by the Spirit” can be understood as a “cutting away” of this posture of “self-sufficiency” so that our faith and dependence are in God rather than in our own “goodness.”
I have come to see in the Apostle Paul’s words what could be given as a description of authentic Christianity. See Philippians 3:3, 7-9:
- Philippians 3:3: “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.”
- Philippians 3:7-9: “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:”
This is the apostolic perspective. This is the perspective Jesus was communicating to the man. To have this perspective requires a fundamental change in the fallen human heart – a change from self-sufficiency to utter dependence upon God. This change of perspective is called repentance.
Truly, to change the human heart is harder than what is described in Mark 10:25: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” But Jesus responds in Mark 10:27: “And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.”
Even regarding the fallenness of the human heart, beyond the impossibility of change is the possibility with God. Recorded in a Jewish midrash (a form of Jewish storytelling that explores ethics and values in Biblical texts) is this thought: “The Holy One said, open for me a door as big as a needle’s eye and I will open for you a door through which may enter camels.”
In other words, the Spirit of God asks that we give Him only “a foot in the door”, so to speak, and He Who created the human heart can re-create it. This is God’s promise of the New Covenant, see Ezekiel 36:26-27: “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.”
The Issue of “God”
One of the things we see taking place in this encounter of this man with Jesus is what could be called the “principle of process” – there is a process to “inheriting eternal life” – a process in “entering the kingdom” – a process of salvation. In this particular process, Jesus has addressed a number of particular issues with this man: the issue of “how” one inherits eternal life, the issue of “goodness”, the issue of the “all of the Law”, and the issues of “wealth” and “self.”
The ultimate issue of salvation is the issue of God Himself. Salvation is “inheriting eternal life”, “entering the kingdom”, and “coming home to God.” It is a worthwhile exercise to do a Scriptural analysis of this process and cite the necessary steps in the process – repentance, faith, baptism, and receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. See Acts 2:37-38: “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
But everyone who has actually experienced this process knows it is a sovereign process – each “createe” must do business – one-on-one, face-to-face business – with their Creator. No one really can “bring you to the Lord” – it is the Spirit of the Lord Who brings you to Himself. It is actually quite beautiful that God reserves that for Himself – relating intimately with each of His children in this birthing process. So, Jesus ultimately brings this man to the “issue of God.”
The man had originally addressed Jesus as “Good Master.” But, after Jesus had brought him through the “issue of goodness”, the man referred to Jesus as merely “Master.” The next order of business in the process was for Jesus to make evident if the man was looking for a teaching – rules for living – or if he was, in fact, looking for God. He wanted to make evident if the man would be satisfied with religion, or if he was, in fact, desiring a relationship. Jesus knew that people get only what they want to get.
So, Jesus said to him in Mark 10:21: “Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, 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.”
“One thing you lack…” What did the man lack; greater commandments than the ones he already had in his religion? What did he lack? Did he lack being poor? Did he need to give all he had to the poor so that he himself could also attain poverty? Is that what he lacked – poverty? Obviously not. The man lacked a relationship with God. Jesus was telling him he needed to get his religion and wealth behind him and start relating to God.
A man finds a treasure hidden in a field and forsakes all to get it. A man finds a pearl of great value and forsakes all to get it. See Matthew 13:44:46: “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.”
The Apostle Peter said in Mark 10:28: “Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee.” Unless they are neurotic, people don’t do that for teaching – rules for living – a religion. What God is offering is more than that. Our Gospel of Salvation must include more than that. Our message of the kingdom must extend to that “treasure in heaven” – God Himself. It’s about a relationship with our Father, God, in the Spirit, through Christ.
In Mark 10:22, Mark said: “And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.” He could have wealth or religion without a relationship. But if he was to have a relationship, he needed God. Apparently, this man wanted a relationship with God, but not more than his religion and his wealth.
Jesus taught in Matthew 6:24 and Luke 16:13:
- Matthew 6:24: “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”
- Luke 16:13: “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”
God must be first. Relationship with God must be first. It doesn’t work any other way, because that’s the way God made it, and that’s the way God wants it. We must accept God on His terms, not on our own terms.
A Good Model for Evangelism?
The gospels may not be telling us the end of this man’s story, but apparently what we have read about is, in a sense, an “unsuccessful” attempt at bringing someone to faith in Christ. To make matters worse, the attempt was made by Jesus Himself. In a manner of speaking, we might be tempted to say that Jesus failed to bring this man to Himself. So, is this a good model for evangelism? It seems like it didn’t work.
Yet Jesus said in John He had accomplished the work which the Father had given Him to do. See John 17:4: “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.” Actually, what Jesus did with this man worked just fine – with regard to making the right presentation of God’s message.
The number of family and friends that I would like to see come to true faith in Christ probably approaches triple digits. And I admit that I am as guilty as the next person in being tempted to “soft-sell” God’s message. It’s only natural that we long to see some evidence that the Spirit of God is making successful inroads into the lives of those we love. Nevertheless, I am also convinced that it is extremely important that we don’t base our approach on what “works” according to our definition of “success.”
Success is doing things the way Jesus does.
Psalm 49:7 tells us that we cannot save our relatives or anyone else: “None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:” Psalm 3:8 tells us: “Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.” Romans 6:23 tells us eternal life is a gift from God through Jesus Christ: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
As with physical life, we can sow seed, but it is God alone Who gives newness of life. See Romans 6:4: “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Someone coming into eternal life is nothing short of a miracle of God. Our doing what we think “works” is a pathetic attempt at working miracles.
Actually, this is the “division of labor” that Jesus gave us in the gospels: He said that He would build His Church – not us. See Matthew 16:18: “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” And He said that our commission was to preach the Gospel and make disciples. See Mark 16:15: “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”
We can do what “works” according to what we think is “good”; but in reality, “good” is doing what Jesus tells us to do.
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