16 And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” 17 And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” 18 He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, 19 Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” (Matthew 19:16–22 (ESV)
A rich, young man approached Jesus one day. He asked Jesus a question. It was “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” The rich, young man did not acknowledge Jesus as Lord and God. Rather, he addressed Him as a teacher, instructor or rabbi. He assumed that being wise, Jesus possessed eternal life and knew how others could get it.
The young individual possessed a mistaken perspective. He thought eternal life was the result of him performing some good deed, favor, or moral act. In his mind, eternal life was the result of his own personal achievement.
Jesus’ response to the young man directed him to a greater principle and purpose. And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.”
The rich, young man asked another question regarding the commandments. He was direct and confident. “Which ones?”
Jesus focused on the second tier of God’s moral commandments. They dealt with man and his relationship to his fellow man. And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, 19 Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
“It was not necessary for Jesus to include the commandments relating to man’s duty with respect to God; for, failure to observe the second table implies failure to observe the first: “He who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen” (1 John 4:20),” explains Dr. William Hendriksen.
The rich, young man again responded directly and confidently. “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” Apparently there was still a nagging doubt about his standing with God and the acquisition of eternal life. So it is with everyone who bases eternal life on their self-righteous works. It is an impossible task prompted by an impossible dream.
“Here superficial smugness is struggling with deep discontent. This young man tries to make himself believe that all is well; yet on the inside he is pathetically perturbed. Has he really loved his neighbor as himself? Why then this lack of peace of mind and heart that had made him run up to Jesus with the anxious question, “What do I still lack?” Did his inward monitor echo the truth expressed in 5:20; cf. Rom. 2:15b? Was that why, though he tried hard to believe in his own virtue and respectability, he was actually feeling ill at ease? He seems to be saying, “What additional good deed must I be doing over and above all those very many that I have already done, for ‘from my youth’ (Mark 10:20; Luke 18:21) I have observed God’s law?, “ observes Dr. Hendriksen.
Jesus will provide one more standard to keep. What was the rich, young man’s response? We’ll examine that when next we meet.
Soli deo Gloria!
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