And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’” 21 And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.” 22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 23 But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. 24 Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” 27 But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” 28 And Peter said, “See, we have left our homes and followed you.” 29 And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30 who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.” Luke 18: 18-30 ESV
Luke 18: 18-30 Rich Young Ruler
And a ruler asked Him - This is the story of the Rich Young Ruler also covered in Matthew and Mark's gospels.
Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life - Sadly, some people don't know to even ask such a question. Some think there is no eternity, though they live in the finite, they think that is all there is, nothing infinite, no eternity. Some think that some part of time and space must have always existed, and that would therefore be eternal, and I have heard some ascribe that to matter. Now, even here, in this question, while there is the acknowledgment of continuation, the possibility of life beyond the normal allotment, past this tiny span, there is still the ignorance common to all of us. There are those today that would like to extend their lives, especially those that have achieved what the world would call great success in this life. They want that, this present prosperity, to continue. Men, as informed by Holy Scripture, are all in a fallen state, and therefore we know that all of us have fallen and corrupted passions, ideals, about eternity, if it is, what it is, or what we would like for it to be. Men try to extend the things they hold most dear, that's why snake oil that will help you live longer and or look younger sells so well. It's why Viagra has such a huge market, and plastic surgery. I've said before, it is impossible here, in time and space, to wrap one's head even around what already exist, but eternity is infinitely more difficult to grasp. What some would consider the opposite concept, believing that there is nothing after this, non being, no chance of eternal life, is also impossible to imagine, for you must be to imagine not being, which negates the idea.
…10I have seen the burden that God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men, yet they cannot fathom the work that God has done from beginning to end. 12I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and do good while they live,… Ecclesiastes 3: 10-12
Why do you call Me good, no one is good except God alone - An incredible response, and most will brush by this far too fast, but in this answer is a question, and within the question is yet another unfathomable concept. Who is standing before you? You asked, "what must I do?", which presupposes a way, but one of human effort. He calls Christ, good, but by what standard? We will see the young rulers standard very shortly, but what is God's standard? Christ gives the standard for good in saying, no one is good except God alone. In other words, it is both non existent in the character of fallen creatures, and what semblance of good that may be seen in them is but a mere reflection, some left over vestige of the image of God. God is immutably good in nature and essence, a part of His eternal, glorious Being. Even before the fall, it could not be said of the goodness of man, immutable, else they would not have fallen. Jesus will later say that He is the way, the truth and the life, and that no one comes to the Father but by Him. Your works are out of the question, they are unacceptable, you are not good. God alone is good and this is the standard.
…8Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” 9 Jesus replied, “Philip, I have been with you all this time, and still you do not know Me? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words I say to you, I do not speak on My own. Instead, it is the Father dwelling in Me, performing His works.… John 14: 8-10
…16Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow. 18He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of His creation.… James 1: 16-18
…14What is man, that he should be pure, or one born of woman, that he should be righteous? 15If God puts no trust in His holy ones, if even the heavens are not pure in His eyes, 16how much less man, who is vile and corrupt, who drinks injustice like water?… Job 15: 14-16
…3Can His troops be numbered? On whom does His light not rise? 4How then can a man be just before God? How can one born of woman be pure? 5If even the moon does not shine, and the stars are not pure in His sight,… Job 25: 3-5
…15in case I am delayed, so that you will know how each one must conduct himself in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. 16 By common confession, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was proclaimed among the nations, was believed in throughout the world, was taken up in glory. 1 Timothy 3: 15-16
…25Therefore He is able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them. 26Such a high priest truly befits us— One who is holy, innocent, undefiled, set apart from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27Unlike the other high priests, He does not need to offer daily sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people; He sacrificed for sin once for all when He offered up Himself.… Hebrews 7: 25-27
Kent Hughes - Jesus used the occasion to do some metaphysical probing so the man would reflect upon his own soul. “Why do you call me good? No one is good—except God alone” is a challenge to reflect on Jesus’ ministry as it related to God as the only truly good person in existence. If the ruler could see this level of goodness in Jesus’ ministry, he would realize that the kingdom of God was present. “Think, man! If I am good, and if only God is good, then who am I, and what am I doing? Think!” Having pushed the goodness question, Jesus then focused upon the insufficient goodness of the ruler. Jesus did so by calling him to keep the second half of the Ten Commandments, the commandments that have to do with our social ethics, our duty to other people. (Preaching the Word - Luke)
John Martin - Apparently the man thought Jesus had gained a measure of status with God by His good works. Jesus was implying that if He were truly good, then it would be because He is God. This, then, is another of Jesus’ claims of deity. (Bible Knowledge Commentary)
Spurgeon explains good this way - It was as if Jesus said, “You come to Me asking about what good thing you can do to inherit eternal life; but what do you really know about goodness?” “The argument is clear: either Jesus was good, or He ought not to have called Him good; but as there is none good but God, Jesus Who is good must be God.” (Luke 18 - exposition) - Precept Austin
You know the commandments - He runs him through the commandments that every Jewish kid would know, and I challenge you, think of it in respect to God's bar not the curve that we humans like to grade things on.
Do not commit adultery - Don't cheat on your spouse.
27You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ 28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matthew 5: 27-28
Do not murder - Don't kill anyone outside of self defense or defense of the innocent. The Bible also makes it clear that some sins, like murder, are capitol crimes, punishable by death. Keep in mind, God's judgment starts at the heart, the very thoughts of man. So far I can't see myself as good.
21You have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not murder’ and ‘Anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to the fire of hell. Matthew 5: 21-22
…17In that case, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh; for I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For I do not do the good I want to do. Instead, I keep on doing the evil I do not want to do.… Romans 7: 17-19
Do not steal - The mental state of this can be found in the coveting of the mind. I was a thief at a very young age. We would steal candy when my mom would tell us that we couldn't afford it. I would swap price tags on things when I was a kid, and by the time I was twelve we were stealing cigarettes from the store. It's great that I have stopped doing these things, thought I do still wrestle at times with coveting, but even though I have improved, alas, it is still not perfection. I am forever tainted by the sin nature I was born into, and my first active sin was against an infinite God, and so there is nothing light about it.
Jesus continues through the part of the law relating to how men treat other men, and at the end of it all, the kid says, "All these I have kept from my youth". It is the equivalent of saying, "I'm good", and wanting Jesus, the "good teacher", to acknowledge this.
For he was extremely rich - He still doesn't recognize that it is God asking him to do this. If Jesus is Lord then you obey what He says. He wanted a good deed to do, wanted a path or a work that would get him to eternal life, but his ideal life was his wealth. It's funny, because if Jesus would have said, "no worries, you have done enough", he would have eaten this gladly, like the people that sit in mega churches or put so much weight upon traditions, pilgrimages, and repeat after me prayers. He would have probably been more than willing to write a big check to Jesus' ministry, but not give everything, and though it was finite, yet it was worth more to him than eternity.
…35For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and for the gospel will save it. 36 What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?… Mark 8: 35-37
What is impossible with man is possible with God - God provides the way. The wealth actually belongs to Him, the life you have belongs to Him, and we are thieves when we see it any other way. The crowd was astonished because they associated wealth with good standing, but that is ridiculous, many openly evil, God hating people, have been wealthy in this life, but they are spiritual paupers, soul forfeiters in the next.
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