Luke 18:18-21 18And a certain ruler asked him, saying, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 19And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 20You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’ ” 21And he said, “All these I have kept since youth.”
The ruler who came to Jesus in this next story asks the most crucial question for anyone. The deep human question is to know if if this life is all there is to our existence or if there is something beyond the grave. Ecclesiastes 3:11 states that God has put a sense of eternity into the human heart that compels us to think about spiritual matters. This deep sense of something greater has driven every people group to imagine an existence after death in some form. The ruler who came to Jesus appears to be a sincere seeker of truth. This story is found in all three Synoptic Gospels, but each gives a slightly difference nuance. All three describe this man as rich. Matthew records that the ruler was young (Matthew 19:20). Luke adds in verse 18 that he was ruler.
This passage has several theological challenges that become apparent as the story progresses. The first appears in Jesus’ response to the ruler. This young man saw something in Jesus with his acknowledgment of Jesus as Good Teacher. The problem was the what the man implied with this description. Good can be understood in several ways. Did the young man only see Jesus as a good orator and effective communicator? Jesus wanted to probe the man’s thoughts and intentions more and to guide him to a deeper understanding and commitment. The man was curious and brave enough to come to Jesus, but had he really understood who Jesus was?
Jesus responded in verse 19 to his question with his own question that started the process of deeper commitment. The challenge is the meaning of his response. Did he mean that he was not good and that only God was good? What he saying that he was not God incarnate, and thus not good? It seems that this man had the wrong idea of goodness and attributed it only to appearance and not to theological truth. Jesus wanted the rich ruler to focus on deeper spiritual matters. There was a heart issue that needed to be dealt with, and not the wrong thinking about goodness and being religious or wealthy.
As Jesus’ response continues, the wrong understanding of the man becomes more apparent. Jesus acknowledges that the man had been obedience in the basic commands every good Jew knew by heart. Luke does not state what this man “ruled” over, but possibly a synagogue. He had accelerated in his position, and people acknowledged this by elevating him to a high position. His religious life was an example for other Jews. Yet, he felt that there was something still missing in his life. All five of the commands Jesus lists come from the second half of the Ten Commandments and deal with loving one’s neighbor. This man likely had good relationships with other people. Even with all these positive qualities, there was still something missing. Religion cannot replace relationship.
For older posts, click here.