Scripture Reading: Matthew 19:16–22
Or you can turn back with me in your Bibles to Matthew's gospel. We're going to be in Matthew chapter 19, a passage we have looked at in the past, one that I think is a good reminder for us as Christians, as non-Christians, as people who want to share the gospel with Christians. Matthew chapter 19, verses 16 to 22, Jesus dealing with the rich young ruler. Now in chapter 18, Jesus deals with matters connected to the church.
Chapter 19, for the most part, matters dealing with the family. We'll hear specifically in verses 16 to 22, a matter concerning a man's acceptance with God. That's what's at stake. He asks the very simple question, what shall I do that I may inherit or have eternal life?
So I'll read the section, we'll pray, and then we'll look at it in some detail. So beginning in Matthew 19 at verse 16. Now behold, one came and said to him, good teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life? So he said to him, why do you call me good?
No one is good but one, that is God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments. He said to him, which ones? Jesus said, you shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, honor your father and your mother, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.
The Young Man's Self-Righteous Assertion
The young man said to him, all these things I have kept from my youth, what do I still lack?
Christ Exposes the Tenth Commandment
Jesus said to him, if you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven and come follow me. But
The Young Man's Refusal
when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful for he had great possessions. Amen. Well, let us pray.
Opening Prayer
Our gracious God and Father, we thank you for this time that we can gather together and look at your holy word. We pray for the ministry of the Holy Spirit who gave us the word to guide us and direct us and lead us into a good understanding of what Christ is doing in this passage. May you see, or may we see, the glory of the gospel of our salvation, the fact that Christ lived, the fact that Christ died and was raised again so that sinners may have everlasting life. Forgive us and cleanse us now and wash us in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And we pray in his most blessed name. Amen. Well,
Introduction
as we look at this particular passage, the man asks a good question. And as we consider it, we consider the legitimacy of it. Notice he says, good teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life? So the idea is, is how do I enter into heaven?
Now, I would suppose there's a decline in the amount of people that actually believe that there is a heaven today. Religion is in decline, especially here in the Western world, but I think there's still a lot of people out there that, given the opportunity to choose yes or no that there is a heaven, I think a lot would still say yeah. So if there is, in fact, a heaven, that invites the question, well, how do I enter in? And that's precisely what's on this young man's mind.
He wants to know what he needs to do in order that he may have eternal life. In other words, he wants acceptance with God. He wants to dwell in that place of righteousness and goodness and blessedness. And who can blame him?
When you look at the world around us, it's filled with sexual perversion. It's filled with godlessness and idolatry. It's filled with lies and theft. all manner of departure from God's holy law. So I think the legitimacy of the question is obvious.
How do we move from this state into that state of acceptance with God? This man is on the wrong track in terms of how he gains acceptance with God and the Lord Jesus corrects him. So
The Question Posed by the Young Man
I wanna look first at the question posed by the young man in verses 16 to 19. And then secondly, the direction given by the Lord Jesus in verses 20 to 22. Now, this man is identified as young here in Matthew. He's called a ruler in the parallel passage in Luke 18.
And he's described as rich in all three of the Synoptic Gospels. So Matthew, Mark, and Luke all tell us that he was a rich man. And so obviously when Jesus presses him on the need to sell his possessions and give to the poor and follow him, he goes away sorrowful. Why?
Because he had a lot of money. He wasn't ready to divest himself of that. So let's look at this question. Notice in the first place the one he addresses.
Verse 16, now behold, one came and said to him, good teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life? As I've said, it's legitimate. As I said, it's a good one. If you haven't given thought about that perennial issue, what shall happen to me when I die, may I encourage you to do so.
Again, as there is a decline in religious belief in the Western world, people just don't think about this. They don't think about a heaven. They don't think about a hell. They don't think about the reality of Hebrews 9, that it's appointed for men to die once and then comes judgment.
In fact, the idea of standing before a thrice holy God probably doesn't enter into the minds of a lot of people today. And that is something that should grieve our hearts. People in the past at least had this vision or this idea that life continued beyond the grave. So if you've not thought this, then I would encourage you to contemplate it.
What would happen to me if I were to drop dead today? What would happen to me if I got hit by a truck on the way home today? I'm not a prophet, nor the son of the prophet, so don't fear that I'm somehow giving you the whammy here, but rather you need to consider the fact that one day you will die. It's appointed.
And then you will stand before God in judgment. So again, it is a legitimate question that this young man asks. Good teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life? But it's an illegitimate question for three reasons.
First of all,
Three Flaws in the Question
the question assumes ability on the part of man. It assumes that he has it in himself to be able to commend himself to God Almighty. Well, that would be fine if man wasn't a sinner. That would be fine if there wasn't that death in Adam.
That would be fine if we were in a state of perfection. We would always choose for God. We would always go Godward, and we would have our acceptance with God based on that reality. But the fact that he thinks that there is something that he can do in order to commend himself to God, underscores that he's not thinking God's thoughts after him.
John 6, 44, our Lord Jesus says, no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. As well, in Romans chapter 8, verses 7 and 8, the Apostle Paul says, the carnal mind is enmity against God. It is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can it be. So there is a disregard for the Bible's teaching on the sin of man with reference to this young man.
As well, the question reflects a misunderstanding of Christ's mission. What good thing shall I do that I may inherit eternal life, or that I may have eternal life? Well, the Apostle Paul has to deal with that sort of thing in the book of Galatians. And the Apostle makes a statement in Galatians 2.21 that is absolutely crucial for our understanding of this passage.
You see, Paul does what Jesus does in this passage of Scripture. Paul shows the futility of trying to gain acceptance with God through the law. Why? Again, because we're sinful.
We're dead and add up. We cannot commend ourselves to God. So Paul shows that, and then he highlights the graciousness of God in his free acceptance of sinners by and through our Lord Jesus Christ. So in Galatians 2.21, he says, I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.
So if this man, this young man, is to be pressed, he would have to disregard the finished work of the Savior. If there's something that he can do so that God will accept him, then Christ died in vain. And that's the problem with mankind today that chooses that path. Well, I'm going to just try harder.
I'm going to just do better. I'm just going to reform my life. I'm going to stop visiting prostitutes. I'm going to stop smoking crack.
I'm going to stop embezzling from my employer. I'm going to clean up my act, and then I'll be so good that God will receive me unto himself. That's faulty logic. That is bad logic because, first of all, you can't clean yourself up to a perfect, exact entire obedience of God's law.
But as well, it doesn't do anything with the sins you've already committed. See, the gospel or good news of our Lord Jesus Christ simply means when you believe in Him, you're forgiven of sin. Not some sin, but all sin. Isn't that a wonderful thing?
My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought. My sin, not in part, but the whole, is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.
But not only are you forgiven of your sins, but you receive the righteousness of Jesus Christ by which now you can be accepted in Him by God Most High. So this young man has this idea that he has the ability to commend himself to God. What shall I do? The question as well reflects a misunderstanding of Christ's mission.
He didn't just come to set an example. He didn't just come to start a new religion. He came to save his people from their sins by his life, his death, and his resurrection. He didn't come to help save.
He didn't come to partially assist. He came to save His people from their sins. So if you choose the way of your own works to commend you to God, it is to disregard what God sent His Son into this world to accomplish. And then the question assumes that man is the final arbiter of who does and who doesn't enter into heaven.
Well, we don't have that wherewithal. We don't have that ability. As we said in the Air Force, in the military, that's above our pay grade. That's not something we're privy to.
We don't control the eternal destiny with reference to our status before a holy God. So the young man poses this question in verse 16. Now let's look at the response of the Lord in verses 17 to 19. When he says, why do you call me good?
No one is good, but one, that is God. Don't want to spend a lot of time on that text. I just simply want to point out that this man is asking about good things in order to be accepted by a good God. And Jesus is now orienting him to the reality that God alone is good and that it's God's law that he needs to have dealings with.
Christ's Response: The Law's Demand
Notice the specific direction that he gives him in 17b. Now, I don't wanna confuse anybody as we move through this passage, so I'm gonna go slow. I'm not suggesting you're morons and you need me to take you slow through the passage, but this passage is misunderstood, not just by churches, but by commentaries, by men that supposedly know better. Jesus is not preaching the law as the means of salvation to this man.
And on the surface reading of the text, some come away and think that's exactly it. All I've got to do is have a garage sale. All I've got to do is give the proceeds to my neighbor who's poor and then follow Jesus and everything is going to be good. No, the Lord Jesus is preaching the law to this young man to show him his sin. to show him his need, to show him that he stands in a condition of desperation before a holy God, and that Jesus is the one in whom alone there is salvation.
So the way that Jesus does that is, again, by preaching the law. The Heidelberg Catechism asks the question, how do you know your sin and misery? I know my sin and misery by virtue of God's law. In other words, when I come to grips with what God says in those 10 commandments, I'm shown to be a sinner.
I'm shown to be not good. I'm shown to be awry. I'm shown to be defective. I'm shown to be what Isaiah the prophet says in Isaiah 53, all we like sheep have gone astray.
So that's the strategy of our Lord at this place. He is preaching the law to the man to show the man his need for grace. And if you have ever read scripture, if you've ever pondered that law of God, you will know that you fall short. You will know that we have a problem, an inclination toward idolatry.
The first two commandments prohibit that. You know that there's an inclination to blasphemy. The third commandment prohibits that. There's an inclination to break the Sabbath day, to have a day of rest in the presence of God Most High.
Again, dispositionally, that's where we gravitate. What about in subordination? It's not just parents and children, it's governments and citizens. I confess that's been a big one over the last couple years.
The sixth commandment, murder. As we move through these commandments, as Jesus presses these upon the conscience of his hearer, understand that he's already taught concerning the commandments in Matthew chapter 5. It's not just external compliance, but it's the internal heart. It's not just enough to not having... the act of adultery, you're not supposed to lust upon another person in your heart.
It's not enough not to just stop somebody's heart from beating. You're not supposed to want them dead in an ungodly way. So as the Lord traces through these commandments, again, he is bringing it to bear upon this man so that this man will look outside of himself, away from the, what shall I do, to the one who has done, our Lord Jesus Christ. So notice, the young man asks the question, Jesus gives the simple answer in 17b, but if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.
I should just say, again, by way of reminder, this would be great counsel if we weren't sinners. This would be great counsel if we weren't dead in our trespasses and sins, if we weren't in... I mean, it is great counsel in the strategy that Jesus is employing it to show the man his need for Jesus. So the young man wants to know what good thing, and Christ points him to God's good law.
And the young man wants to have eternal life in terms of that law, so Christ says it must be fulfilled by obeying God. Now, if you're new to this, you might say, well, that seems simple enough. Well, consider what Paul again in Galatians says, reflecting the Old Testament. Galatians 3.10 says, Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
Now, whenever a person says, well, you know, I'm a pretty good guy, I'm a pretty good girl, I've never committed murder, I've never, you know, engaged in adultery, I think I'll be accepted. You need to understand that I think I'll be accepted is not grounds upon which to rest your eternal state. Thinking you will be accepted for imperfect obedience to the law is a fool's errand. You must continue in all things that God has commanded.
And that means all day. And that means every day. And that means every month, which means you get it, the trajectory here, every year, always. Our confession says that obedience to God's law must be exact, it must be entire, it must be personal, and it must be perpetual.
In other words, it's not just a one-off. You hear a convicting sermon, you go home, and you say, well, I'm done with that. I'm going to fix my life. And then five minutes later, you find that your life needs fixing in a whole lot of places.
So this man thinks there's one thing that he needs to do in order to approach God, and Jesus brings that curse of the law. Galatians 3.12, yet the law is not of faith, but the man who does them shall live by them. The young man wants to know what good thing he must do. So Jesus says, well, if it's the good thing that you want to do, you better do it absolutely perfectly.
You better do it spotlessly. You better do it always. Spurgeon makes a comment at this point. He says, yet on the ground of the law, he would desire eternal life as a reward.
He must be as good as God and keep the commandments to perfection. Thus, the rugged way of works was set before him. Not that he might attempt to win eternal life thereby, but that he might perceive his own shortcomings and so feel his weakness as to look for salvation by some other method. So Jesus is using the law as it were as a hammer, to smash him, to shatter him, to shatter this illusion that there's things that he can do so that he may have eternal life.
Now notice what the young man says in response. He says to him, verse 18, he said to him, which ones? Jesus said, you shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, honor your father and your mother, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself." So the Lord takes what we call the second table of the law, our duties toward man. So the first four commandments are our duties toward God.
You shall have no other gods before God. You shall not make for yourself an idol. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. And I'm sorry, you shall not blaspheme, blaspheme, number three, and then remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. number four.
So five to ten is our responsibility toward man. Notice, just put it in the back pocket for a minute, that he doesn't mention the tenth commandment, okay? Keep that in your head. Keep that somewhere where you can access that later.
So Jesus sets forth the second table of law. The sixth commandment, murder. Seventh, adultery. Eighth, theft.
Ninth, false witness. And fifth, obedience to parents or other authority. And then he gives Leviticus 19 as a summarizing principle. Notice in 19b, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.
That summarizes that second table of the law. And again, what is he doing here? He's pressing this young man's conscience with the reality that the law of God demands perfect, exact, entire, and perpetual obedience.
The Direction Given by the Lord Jesus
Now that brings us next to the direction given by the Lord Jesus. Look at first of all the assertion by the young man in verse 20. The young man said to him, all these things I have kept from my youth, what do I still lack? Now, if you're at least a little bit familiar with the Bible, you'll know that this is not a good response.
Okay? This is, you know, you get an F. Wrong. This is not good.
This man is actually suggesting that the second table of the law was performed impeccably by him? I mean, you meet proud people in Scripture. There's that man in Luke 18, or the two men who went to the Temple to pray. You had the Pharisee and you had the publican and the Pharisee prayed thus with himself.
Thank you God that I'm so awesome. Thank you that I'm so righteous. Thank you that I'm so holy. Thank you that I fast, and I tithe, and I do everything.
And thank you that I'm not an adulterer, and I'm not an extortioner. I'm not like this unjust man. You do meet with that in the pages of Holy Scripture. Matthew chapter six, the guys were told not to sound the alarm when we give our alms.
You know, you don't come into the church and say, you know, everybody, look what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna drop this big check right into the box. You're not supposed to do that. Why do you think Jesus tells people they're not supposed to do that?
Because it's in us to do that. We want to be seen. We want to be recognized. We want people to say, wow, what a holy specimen of a human being.
So this young man has the wherewithal to claim that he had obeyed the law of God. Verse 20, the young man said to him, all these things I have kept from my youth, what do I still lack? The young man claims that he had obeyed it from his youth. The young man proudly parades his self-righteousness.
This is a proudly parading of one's self-righteousness, right? Stand around and pat yourself on the back in front of your fellows, telling them how good you are. This is virtue signaling 101. All these things I have kept from my youth.
The young man has not properly reflected upon the comprehensiveness of the law. Again, it's not just the external act, but it's the internal disposition. You never had a lustful thought? You never wanted to rid the world of a particular enemy?
You never coveted? Well, we're going to see that in just a moment. You never engaged in this kind of lawlessness toward your fellows? Ryle said, so utterly ignorant is he of the spirituality of God's statutes that he never doubts that he has perfectly fulfilled them.
How dark must his mind have been as to the nature of God's law? How low must his ideas have been as to the holiness which God requires? Again, just to cut to the point, God doesn't grate on a curve. Well, everybody else around me is, you know, a D minus, so my C is going to get me into heaven.
No, it's perpetual, it's perfect, it's exact, and it's higher obedience to the law that God demands. Hopefully by this point, you're starting to wonder, starting to see what the goodness is about the gospel, the goodness about Jesus, because Jesus did obey. Jesus didn't have lustful thoughts. Jesus didn't engage in those acts of wickedness.
Jesus was holy, harmless, and undefiled. Jesus lived in absolute obedience to the law of God for us men and for our salvation. We look to him in faith, we're forgiven of our sin, and we receive the righteousness that he has won. As well, the young man has not properly understood the nature of sin and total depravity.
I've always thought that the diagnoses upon our culture is overly complicated, at least from the biblical point of view. When you look at what's happening around us, the answer is pretty simple. It's sin. Why do we encourage the murder of the unborn?
Why do we encourage the murder of the elderly and the infirm? Why do we encourage children to mutilate themselves now in the name of whatever kind of liberation? Well, yeah, I'm sure there's a lot of socioeconomic policies and factors we can put. It's sin.
It's rebellion against God. It's lawlessness. It is a lack of conformity unto his law. It is a transgression of what he has said.
The problems in the world are not hard to diagnose. And if we diagnose the problem properly, then what is the solution? What does the Psalter say? We don't trust in chariots.
We don't trust in horses. We trust in the power of the most high God. We pray for the proclamation of his gospel. We pray that that word would run swiftly and be glorified.
We pray that sinners from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation would look unto the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. So this young man has not reflected upon sin and total depravity. But as well, notice that this young man realizes there must be something else. See, this attempt to work our way into God's favor never brings the peace that justification by faith alone does.
What does Paul say in Romans 5.1? He says, therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Isn't that the reality of it? Isn't that the truth of it?
Isn't it wonderful to be able to peel your head at night and realize that if I die before I wake, I'm going to be in the presence of God? Not because I'm a good guy, not because I did good things, but because Christ is a glorious Savior. It is by virtue of His life, His death, and His resurrection that I will be accepted. Spurgeon says he presses his inquiry as to salvation by works because he thought himself on the road to winning it.
And by doing so, he evidences that fact that there is no peace ultimately with this works righteousness approach. There's always gotta be something else. There's always gotta be something more. There's always gotta be something other.
I haven't crossed all the T's. I haven't dotted all the I's. I haven't sufficiently obeyed every jot and tittle. What else is there, Lord?
Now, notice what Jesus says to him in terms of, again, preaching the law. Remember, he doesn't mention the 10th commandment. because most likely the young fellow was pretty decent at these other things. But what was his prevailing sin? What's the problem of his heart?
I mean, we all have it, right? Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 7, God made man upright, but they've sought out many devices. My devices might not be your devices. Your devices might not be my devices.
But rest assured, we all have that. Rest assured, we all have our pet sins. Rest assured, we all have the inclination of our own hearts to a particular departure from God's law. What is it with this young man?
It's his stuff. It's his garage. It's his living room. It's his cars.
It's his summer home. It's his private jet. Remember, he's a rich young ruler. He's got all this stuff.
So with the strategy of a wonderful preacher, the Lord Jesus takes the specific command that this young man struggled with and he presses him with it. And again, not teaching him that if you just do this, then everything's going to be hunky-dory. No, this man had an elevated assumption that he was able to comply with 6 to 9. five to nine, but Jesus wants to show him that his problem fundamentally is a problem of rebellion against God. So notice in verse 21, what Jesus says, Jesus said to him, if you want to be perfect, go sell what you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven and come follow me.
So the Lord affirms that the young man isn't perfect, right? If you want to be perfect, if you want to be whole, if you want to have eternal life, if you want acceptance with the Father. So he acknowledges the fact that the young man is indeed a sinner. The young man's elevated thoughts about his own accomplishments were wrong.
They were misguided. They were misdirected. They were grandiose, we might say. As well, the Lord preaches the law, specifically the 10th commandment, which is, you shall not covet.
Now, I think there's a connection between the 10th commandment and the first commandment. See, this idea of covetousness means that there's something outside of you that can bring peace, it can bring comfort, it can bring stability. Well, when we covet or we engage in that particular sin, we are betraying a commitment to our God. The first commandment says, you shall have no other gods before me, not your garage, Not your living room, not your cars, not your summer home, not your private jet.
You're to have your comfort and your stability in God Almighty. That's where our security lies. As well, the Lord here is not necessarily condemning money in every jot and tittle. People read this and again they think, all I got to do is get rid of my box and follow Jesus and I'm in?
Well, if that's the case, why aren't there more people on their way to heaven? The Bible tells us the way is broad that leads to destruction. He's particularizing the law in this instance. We know from Paul in 1 Timothy 6 that it's not money.
Money doesn't rob banks. Money doesn't cut people's heads off. Money doesn't engage in adultery. Money's a tool.
What's the problem when it comes to money? The problem is in our hearts. It's the love of money that is the root of all kinds of evil. Paul in 1 Timothy chapter 6 doesn't tell the rich folk in Ephesus to get rid of all their money.
Paul tells Timothy, have a Bible study with them and tell them not to be haughty, don't be proud, don't trust in uncertain riches. Be benevolent and charitable and gracious and willing to share with those who have need. Paul in 1st Timothy chapter 5 verse 8 actually levels a complaint at persons who don't have money. And he says it thus, he says, if any man does not provide for his own, he's worse than an unbeliever.
Last I checked, you needed money to buy milk, you needed money to buy gas, you needed money to put a roof over your children's heads. So it's not money per se that the Lord is after. Though there is a particular warning in the passage that we'll visit in a few minutes, but it's the covetousness, it's the stuff, it's the broken law, it's the 10th commandment. The Lord points him to grace for salvation.
He doesn't say it in so many words, but when we compare Scripture with Scripture, when we understand what the Lord teaches elsewhere, when we understand what Paul tells us in specifically Romans and Galatians, we know that this is the Lord's strategy. A couple of weeks ago, we considered the fall of David into gross sin. Remember when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab? And when David stayed behind, he saw Bathsheba bathing, she was naked.
So he called for her, he took her, he lay with her, he committed adultery with her. She gets pregnant, so he has to try to cover that sin. Instead of confessing it to God, confessing it to her husband. He plies Uriah.
He brings Uriah from the field of combat, tries to have him lie with his wife so that when she turns up pregnant, nobody will be any the wiser. Well, of course, Uriah had a lot more integrity. Uriah wasn't going to do that. So ultimately, David gives the kill order.
Have Uriah dead in the battlefield. Well, on the heels of that, the prophet Nathan comes. And Nathan says to David, I want to tell you a little story. There was a rich man and there was a poor man.
And this poor man had a little lamb. And he loved this lamb. It was his own. He slept with the lamb.
I know it's a bit odd, but go with the story from the prophet Nathan. He received it as if it was his own little daughter. Well, the rich man had a visitor one day. So what does he do?
Does the rich man go into his field? No, he goes to the poor man. And he takes that ewe lamb, he cuts it up, and he barbecues it for his friend. David is outraged.
David is incensed. David is angry. And what does Nathan say? You are the man.
You had everything, David. You had houses. You had wives. You had all the stuff that there could be.
And God, through the prophet, says, and if that wasn't enough, I would have given you more. What's the point? Nathan brings that man face to face with the law of God. And that's what Jesus does here.
Jesus brings this man face to face with the law of God, so he'll quit asking the question, what shall I do, but to whom shall I believe in? And it's Christ the Lord. Again, Spurgeon makes the observation in Jesus' use of the 10th commandment. If we love our possession more than we love God, we are idolaters.
And if we will hug our property so as to let the poor hunger, We cannot be said to love them as ourselves. His claim was just that. I have loved my neighbor as myself. So Jesus comes to him in the specific case necessary and says, okay, you say you've loved your neighbor as yourself.
You've done so even from the time that you were a boy. Go ahead, sell everything. Take that money and give it to the poor. Well, he didn't quite want to do that.
Notice in verse 22. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. So what happens? Jesus preaches the law to him to show him the futility of trying to gain acceptance with God through his obedience, through his fulfillment, through his righteousness.
So that then this man would be a seeker after something outside of himself Namely, grace. See, there's one of two approaches to get into God's favor. Our own works, our own efforts, our own ability, or God's free grace in the person and in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Which one would you choose?
We say, well, I'll take Jesus for the win. But you see, so many people don't. So many people hear the gospel and they think, well, this is just, you know, it's a folly. It's a fairy tale.
It's just for those religious weirdos that want to spend their time on. No, this is matters of life and death. This is heaven and hell. This is the way of acceptance with God or the way of being rejected by God.
And so Jesus lays the law upon him so that he'll look outside of himself for gospel, for good news. So notice, when the young man heard that saying, I'll give him credit. He heard it and he understood. I don't think there's a lot of comprehension today in terms of the gospel message.
And I'm not talking just outside in the world. I'm talking about the church. The error of adding to, well, I need to believe on Jesus and I need to this. I need to believe on Jesus plus I need to wear this.
I need to believe on Jesus plus I need to go through this. That's not what believing in Jesus means. If righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain. You either bring your words to God for acceptance or you lay hold of the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We sometimes sing a hymn, and there's two lines, you've heard me repeat it often. Foul I to the fountain fly, wash me, Savior, or I die. That's as good a confession as you're going to get. Or else, he says, nothing in my hand I bring, simply to thy cross I cling.
That's an understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord. This man didn't have it. What shall I do? What thing do I lack?
What is it that I need to bring to the table so that God Almighty will accept me? But he did hear, he did understand, and then he went away sorrowful. Why? Because the message didn't resonate with his heart.
Again, the idea of look unto the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved, on the one hand, it's the most simple thing on the face of the earth. On the other hand, it's quite challenging. Why is that? Because we want to have a hand in it.
We want to have sort of one-upmanship. We want to, you know, bask in our wisdom, bask in our righteousness, bask in our ability. We want to say with the young man, yeah, I'm as great as you might imagine. There is that wicked pride of Adam in each and every one of our hearts, and it's a difficult thing to sort of root out.
It is through the preaching of God's law that Jesus is rooting it out in this particular instance. So notice then how Matthew ends it. So when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. The young man's greed or covetousness was found out, yet he chose rather to cleave to his possessions than to come to Christ.
That is sad. And it's a sad thing that happened probably to every single one of us that are now confessing faith in the Lord Jesus. Somebody along the way said, you know, you're messed up. You're a lawbreaker.
You're guilty before Holy God. Look unto the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. And what do we do? We disregarded it.
We said, you know what? That's not for me. I wonder at times with children, young people, I think it's a great blessing and a great privilege to grow up in a gospel-preaching church. I think that is a great blessing from God most high.
But I fear at times being Bible-hardened. You hear it so much, it just becomes sort of old hat. You hear it so much, it just sort of becomes routine. You grow up in it.
There's a resistance already built in because of your place in Adam. And you just get further hardened. You just get further sort of rebellious. That's not the way to be.
That's not a good place to be. Listen again to Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes. He says, remember your creator in your youth. If God in his infinite wisdom and in his goodness gave you to Christian parents who bring you to a Christian church to hear the preaching of the Christian gospel, I would suggest that those are pointing, signs pointing by God to His Son, that you should believe in Him, that you should look unto Him and be saved.
Don't wait, don't tarry, don't say, well, you know, I'm gonna wait till I'm 25, 30, 40, I'm gonna wait till I'm really old, when I'm 50, and then I'll have peace with God most high. No, remember your Creator and your youth. There's no better place to be than in Christ, not having your own righteousness, which is from the law, but that righteousness which is from God, received through faith. So when we come to consider this particular man, Carson says he leaves because if a choice must be made between money and Jesus, money wins.
Ryle says one idol cherished in the heart may ruin a soul forever. And Bruner says he does not have money, it has him. He does not have money, it has him.
Application
Now in conclusion, I have a few lessons and then we'll go. First,
Warning to the Affluent
the challenge in the text presented by the Lord to an affluent people. What do I mean by affluent? I mean we've got money. We've got stuff.
We're not living in huts. You know, we're not wandering around aimlessly with bare feet in the streets. I mean, that may come if the WEF is to be trusted. But for right now, we've got lots of blessings, manifold blessings.
The psalmist says in Psalm 68, bless the Lord who has loaded us daily with benefits. Certainly that's a prayer the people of God in Canada and America can offer up to the most high. Again, I think the Lord Jesus is particularizing the 10th commandment in this instance to show this man his sin. There is an overarching sort of a warning built into the structure.
Notice what he says in verse 23. Then Jesus said to his disciples, Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again, I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. When his disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, Who then can be saved?
But Jesus looked at them and said to them, With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. So there is a warning in the passage to an affluent people, a particularizing instance where he uses the law of God vis-a-vis the 10th commandment to show this individual sinner of his need for the Savior. But generally speaking, Jesus says it is hard for a rich man to enter into heaven. Why is that?
Because we trust in our riches. We love our money. We love our stuff. We love the things it affords.
We love the comfort. We love the blessing. And again, I'm not telling every single one of you, let's have a big garage sale, let's get rid of everything, and let's give it to the poor. The idea is, though, is that we need to be careful.
We need to be watchful and prayerful. It's intriguing because when you compare Matthew 19 with Luke 19, Luke 19 comes after Luke 18. That's some learning, isn't it? But in Luke 18 is where you get Jesus' statement concerning the rich man and the difficulty or impossibility of him entering into heaven.
Don't you love what the disciples say? Who then can be saved? Why do you think they did that? Because in their assessment, a rich man was favored by God.
If a rich man who's favored by God is going to have a tough time getting into heaven, then that brings the question, who then can be saved? It's on the heels of that that Jesus gives that glorious answer. With men, it is impossible, but with God, all things are possible. So then in Luke 19, we have the case of Zacchaeus.
Zacchaeus was a rich man. Zacchaeus was the camel that went through the eye of the needle because of God's grace, because of the work of our Lord Jesus Christ, because of the reality that the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost. Luke 19.10. So there is a warning, a general warning here, in terms of riches.
Do not let them seize you. Rather, use them in the manner that God has called us to.
The Law as Pedagogue
Secondly, the methodology of the Lord. The young man's question demonstrates his approach to life through what we call in theology the covenant of works. But what I've tried to explain is simply trying to get into God's favor based on your own performance. based on your own works, based on what you've done, based on how you've done it, all things I've kept from my youth. I'm a great guy.
You should accept me. You should, you know, throw the doors of heaven open when I die so that everybody can rejoice that I'm finally there. That is folly according to both the Old and the New Testament. The Lord answers him accordingly to show him his inability to enter life through his own works.
Calvin says here, This reply of Christ is legal because it was proper that the young man who inquired about the righteousness of works should first be taught that no man is accounted righteous before God unless he has fulfilled the law, which is impossible, that convinced of his weakness, he might betake himself to the assistance of faith. In other words, he might see the futility of trying to go it on his own and look to the Lord Jesus Christ in faith so that he might have everlasting life. Again, in theology, we call this the second use of the law. The law functions as a child tutor.
The law functions as a pedagogue. The law shows us our need for the Savior, so that by the grace of God, we come to Him and believe in Him. Paul treats this in Romans 3.20. He says, therefore, by the deeds of the law, no one will be justified in his sight.
For by the law is the knowledge of sin. And once we gain by God's grace that knowledge of sin, we then see the glory of the Savior. It is a beautiful way that God has ordained for sinners to come to our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Kindness of Christ in Preaching Law
That brings us to a third observation, the kindness of the Lord. The parallel passage in Mark 10, 21, before Jesus gives him the instruction that we find here in verse 21, where it says, Jesus said to him, if you want to be perfect, go sell what you have and give to the poor. In the parallel passage, it says, then Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him. Think about that.
Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him. That's not what we're about. Are we in the church to, well, you can't condemn people. You can't make them feel bad because they do what they do.
Not only is it not condemned by our Lord, but it's encouraged by our Lord. What's most loving? To lie to people? God, you're great.
Whatever path you choose, however you live your life, whatever law of God you break, however many times you break it, you just do it because God's going to accept you. Brethren, I submit that's one of the most unloving strategies the church has ever adopted. It is to love the lost, it is to love the sinner, to occasionally bash them over the heads, figuratively speaking, with God's holy law. If they don't see their need, why would they ever look to the Savior?
If they don't understand their sin and misery before a holy God, why look outside themselves to an altogether lovely Christ? It just makes no sense. So it is a virtuous thing. It is a good thing.
The preaching of God's truth is an act of love towards sinners, even his law, when they might be particularly lawless. And notice the directness of our Lord. He knows the brother or the man struggles with the 10th commandment. So does he say, well, you know, I don't want to offend him needlessly.
I don't want to touch his pet sin. I don't want to stand in Sodom and preach the seventh commandment. I don't want to stand outside of an abortion clinic and preach the sixth commandment. I don't want to stand outside of lawlessness and sort of beat around the bush.
Christ goes for the juggler with the tenth commandment because that was this particular individual's sin. The preaching of God's truth is not only loving but crucial for sinners. Now I'm going to suggest something here. It's not something I necessarily believe.
It may not be something you've ever heard. I don't want to rock anybody's world or freak you out or anything like that. Some believe this is Paul. Some believe the rich young ruler here is Paul.
Paul before the Damascus Road experience. Paul who understood the nature of the claim of the Nazarene. Paul who viciously persecuted the church and tried to destroy it. Some suggest this was his sort of precursor.
Now, again, not saying I necessarily subscribe, but what Paul says in Romans chapter seven, I think adds a bit of weight to that view. What does Paul say in Romans seven? He's talking about God's law, he's talking about sanctification, he's talking about all these things in terms of the Christian life. Romans 7, seven, Paul says, what shall we say then?
Is the law sin? Certainly not. On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. It's that pedagogical tutorial use of the law.
I would not have known sin except through the law. And then look at the particular law he invokes relative to his own experience. He says, for I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, you shall not covet. Again, not suggesting this is Paul, but suggesting there's similarities with Paul's experience.
Paul had issues as a Pharisee. Paul had covetousness in his heart. Paul had unbridled lust and sin in him. And he says, I would have not have known that unless the law had confronted me and shown me my sin.
So again, to that response that in the Christian church, we ought never ever to offend anybody. We know as the Christian church, It's that offense at times that is absolutely, well not at times, all the time is absolutely crucial to bring sinners to the end of themselves. So that they will look outward, they will look Christward, they will by grace believe on Him. Machen said a new and more powerful proclamation of that law is perhaps the most pressing need of the hour.
Men would have little difficulty with the gospel if they had only learned the lesson of law. So it always is. A low view of law always brings legalism and religion. A high view of law makes a man a seeker after grace.
Pray God that the high view may again prevail. I amen that a hundred percent. because we are seeing decline in this area. Yes, we're ministers of the gospel, but not to the neglect of God's law. It is the law that shows men their need for the gospel.
Jesus said, I didn't come to call sinners righteous, but sinners to repentance. What's he saying? He's saying, preach to sinners to show them their sin so that they will see their need for the Savior King. And then
Look Not to What You Do but to Christ
finally, the legitimacy of the question, the necessity of the question, how do I obtain eternal life? Again, don't look at what you shall do, but rather in whom you shall believe. And that is the Lord Jesus Christ. And the wretchedness of his answer demonstrates self-righteousness.
It demonstrates this idea that, yeah, I'm okay. I'm not as bad as those preachers say. I'm not as bad as that Bible says. I just need a little help and everything's going to be a-okay.
No, you're messed up. I'm messed up. I'm not up here because I'm some wise man or some virtuous man or some righteous man. The Apostle Paul wasn't the Apostle Paul for any of those reasons.
He was a sinner, saved by grace. That's why he celebrates God's grace throughout his epistles. And that's why he condemns this thought that if I just do enough, or if I just engage in more, or if I just stop certain things, then I'll be accepted with God. Paul says, no, you cannot do that.
You must look outside yourself unto the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom there is forgiveness, in whom there is a righteousness, in whom there is acceptance with God, such that eternal life will be enjoyed by you forever and ever." Well, in conclusion, this is the last one. I just want to end with a Luther quote. I've always thought every believer should read Luther on Galatians. Martin Luther.
Not Martin Luther King, the civil rights guy, but Martin Luther, the 15th century 15th, 16th century German reformer. He makes this observation in his lectures on Galatians. He says, we, on the other hand, teach and comfort an afflicted sinner this way. So as Christians, we still have our struggles, right?
Everybody should probably be going, yeah, we do. We got our issues. We got our challenges. We have our struggles with assurance.
We have our struggles with remaining corruption. We have our struggles in the world. We have our struggles with our family. We have our struggles in our own lives.
We have issues. We've got struggles. We've got problems. So how do we encourage that?
Is it, you know, go out and be better? Go out and do more? Go out and try harder? Now there may be a place for that.
If your life is stuck to internet pornography, stop it. Get rid of your device. Throw it out of your pot. Whatever you've got to do, stop.
But first look at Christ. He says, we, on the other hand, teach in comfort an afflicted sinner this way. Brother, it is impossible for you to become so righteous in this life that your body is as clear and spotless as the sun. You still have spots and wrinkles, and yet you are holy.
But you say, how can I be holy when I have sin and I'm aware of it? That you feel and acknowledge sin, this is good. Thank God and do not despair. It is one step toward health when a sick man admits and confesses his disease.
But how will I be liberated from sin? Run to Christ, the physician. who heals the contrite of heart and saves sinners. Believe in Him. If you believe, you are righteous, because you attribute to God the glory of being almighty, merciful, truthful.
You justify and praise God. In short, you attribute divinity and everything to Him. And the sin that still remains in you is not imputed, but is forgiven for the sake of Christ, in whom you believe and who is perfectly righteous in a formal sense. And this last line is what I want everybody to take home.
His righteousness is yours. Your sin is his. Praise God for the gospel of free and sovereign grace. Well, let us pray.
Closing Prayer
Father in heaven, thank you for your word. Thank you for the clarity of our Lord's teaching here with this rich young ruler. And I pray that it would find its mark in our hearts, that we would appreciate a fresh the grace of the gospel of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. As well, God, wherever this gospel is proclaimed today, may it run swiftly and may it be glorified.
As we look at this current evil age, we see the need is great, but we know the power of God is greater. So send forth your victorious word, conquering and to conquer, and may you be glorified in the salvation of sinners here and elsewhere for your glory's sake. And we pray through Jesus Christ, our Lord, amen. Well, you can turn in your hymn books to 568, and we'll close our service by singing the doxology.
The doxology and praise to our tribe. Oh, O Israel, hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is abundant redemption, and he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities. Thank you, God, for these promises. Thank you for your truth.
Thank you for your grace. We pray that you would go with us now, watch over us in this day, and help us to glorify and honor you. And we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
You may be seated for a brief time of meditation.