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The Rich Young Man by Fr. Reid Hensarling
Matthew 19:16-26
A man who was young and wealthy, a leading member of society, asks Jesus a question about obtaining eternal life. Notice he was focused on what he had to do to have eternal life rather than what he believed. He may have had in mind some specific act to earn the favor of God, instead of a life of consistent obedience.
Jesus knows the man is looking for more, but He starts with the law of God, for the Law is where salvation begins. Jesus reminds the man that His Father defines goodness and that obeying Him is the way to eternal life (vv. 17-19). Goodness is not found in our own resources, but in accepting the Lord’s standards and reflecting his character. It is through keeping God’s commandments, not through good deeds of our own devising, that we may enter life. Jesus is not teaching that we are able to obey God perfectly and merit redemption. No one can keep the law perfectly.
Unfortunately, riches stood between this man and Jesus. Jesus called the man to surrender his money and follow him and enter into a new way of life but he did not. Jesus prescribed a very practical action, but the man chose not to depart from his possessions. The young man exercised his freedom to declines God’s gracious invitation. Will we cling to that which keeps us from full commitment to Jesus, or will we surrender all that we have to the Lord? “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine” (Proverbs 3:9-10). “A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish” (Psalm 49:20).
Notice that Jesus is not condemning wealth in itself, nor is it inherently sinful to be wealthy. Money itself is indifferent. The problem is not wealth itself, but rather the love of money. Contrary to popular expectations, wealth may be a hindrance in relation to the kingdom of heaven where earthly ideas of priorities and rewards are tuned upside down. The kingdom of heaven demands the total renunciation of personal rights and possessions. Nothing should stand in the way of following Jesus and having eternal life.
The disciples were astonished about what Jesus said concerning the difficulty of a rich person entering the kingdom of heaven. “Who then can be saved?” they wondered. Salvation is certainly a supernatural work of God. One has to recognize their sinfulness and know that they are condemned by God’s law rather than justified by it. The believer has to repudiate anything that would keep him or her from following Jesus. For some people it is money, for others it may be something else that hinders them. The test is different for each of us. The rich man could not give up his wealth to follow Jesus. To be saved we must deny ourselves, take up our crosses daily, and follow Jesus.
Our only hope is the grace of God. Salvation is by grace alone through faith in Jesus Christ. God does the impossible because we cannot save ourselves or earn our salvation. It is a gift of God. Salvation depends on the action of God, not the achievement of man. The power of God is not limited because He can bring about the salvation of anyone. What great and fantastic news for all of us! Put your hope and trust in the Lord, and he will never fail you.
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