Discussion Questions
- Why are people so resistant to receiving salvation as a free gift? How does our sinful nature play into this?
- Explain the difference between Christianity and the false religions of the world with regard to human merit.
- In your own words, describe what it means to come to Christ like a child.
- What is the difference between childlike faith and simply being immature in your faith? How can childlike faith exist alongside a diligent and disciplined pursuit of God and His Word?
- What might Matthew be showing us by contrasting whom Jesus accepted with the rich ruler?
- In Matthew 19:16–22, was Jesus calling the rich man to earn his salvation by obedience and sacrificial giving? Explain your answer.
- What are some practical money management steps you can take to better steward God’s resources he’s entrusted you with?
- In what ways does money blind us to seeing our need for a Savior? What are some tests to determine if this is true for someone?
- “Give me five minutes with a person’s checkbook, and I will tell you where their heart is.” Billy Graham. Discuss this quote.
- “I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that I still possess.” Martin Luther. Discuss this quote.
- Pray that God would make Jesus your greatest treasure.
What must I
to have
life?
A man came to him, and he comes to Jesus to ask about eternal life. This is the biggest question someone can ask, but look at the way he asks.
“Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” Jesus replies “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” Jesus isn’t denying his sinlessness, he’s telegraphing his punch. He knows God alone is good (and he’s God so he’s good). He instantly knows where this man’s heart is at because the question itself is a category mistake. One of the most fundamental truths of Christianity is this: good deeds don’t earn you eternal life, it comes only by faith.
Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. —Gal. 2:16
Works are not what bring eternal life, they are the evidence that you have eternal life. Think about a tree, the fruit on a tree doesn’t give that tree life, it’s evidence that it has life and nutrients that it’s receiving from another source—what it’s rooted in. We are trees firmly planted ion streams of living water that bear fruit in season. Were saved by a faith that works. Martin Luther says, “We are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone.”
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. —Ephesians 2:8–10
So Jesus, knowing this man’s heart, begins to pull this thread. “If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” He says “go ahead, try it.” James (2:10) says if you’re going to be justified by the law you have to keep all of it. If you fail at one point, it won’t work. “Which ones?” The man asks. “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus quotes some but not all of the Ten Commandments. He says, “I’ve kept all of these.” Mark adds, “From my youth.” In other words I grew up in the church, I’m not perfect but I’m kind of rocking this. With the Ten Commandments, if you’re a Christian you know you can’t keep them all Jesus is saying, “You think you do, but you’ve made an idol out of religion and your own righteousness.” So really he might be successfully keeping 2-10 and violating 1, “You shall have no other gods before me.” That’s the catch all commandment.
But look at where this man’s heart is. We see who that he is a young man, a rich man, and in Mark he’s called a “ruler.” So this is somebody with health, age, wealth, and power, he’s prominent, successful, probably good-looking (usually the rich young people are), and yet he’s missing something. “What do I still lack?” If he was content he wouldn’t need to come to Jesus.
“I’m doing everything right Jesus, and it’s not working!” Not only do I have money, success, and power, but I’m a stand-up guy, I go to church, I’m religious, a family man, but somethings not right. What do I need to add into my life to be complete?” If we rely on our accomplishments to save us, we’ll be left with insecurity, emptiness, and doubt.
Then Jesus gets to the heart of the problem. Read v. 21-22. The word for perfect is being used in the OT sense meaning, “Undivided loyalty and full-hearted obedience.” Even with that, Jesus is trying to get this man to admit that nobody is perfect, you can’t perfectly keep the commandments, or love your neighbor. But the key command in this phrase is not “sell what you possess.” The key command is—“follow me.” That’s how you get eternal life. Here’s commentator William Lane.
Keeping the individual commandments is no substitute for the readiness for self-surrender to the absolute claim of God imposed through the call of the gospel. Jesus’ summons in this context means that true obedience to the Law is rendered ultimately in discipleship. —William Lane
It’s like he had money he was holding on to in this hand. And Jesus is reaching out his hand to say, “Take it! Come with me, be my beloved, be my disciple.” But he had to let go of the money to grab on to Jesus and he couldn’t do it—that’s how deeply embedded the love of money was in this man’s heart. And “he went away sorrowful (literally “grieving,” same word used in the garden) for he had great possessions.” The scariest thing about this is that Jesus lets him go, he doesn’t plead or beg. This same invitation is available to you today. Follow him. In Mark it says, “Jesus looked at him, and he loved him.” He looks at you and he loves you, respond.
How do you
the
of heaven?
Read v. 23. Why couldn’t he do it? Why is it hard for the rich especially to enter the kingdom of heaven? Look at what passage is right before this. “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” To enter the kingdom, Jesus has been saying, you must become like a little child—completely dependent on the grace and mercy of others. This rich man was the complete opposite of a child, a self-made man, independent, powerful, a leader, not a child.
What can this (money) get you? Fun, pleasure, power, a lot. The rich young man wanted to add Jesus to his portfolio. Money was his means to personal identity, power, meaning—to lose his money meant losing himself. He knew something was missing and he was using money to cover the imperfections, using his success to cover up his inadequacies. Jesus says you need to remove this obstacle between us. Money has the unique ability to blind us to the fact that something is radically wrong. It’s not the failure you need to watch out for, it’s the success.
Read v. 24. So how difficult is it? Easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. There has been speculation that this is referring to a gate into Jerusalem and if a camel got down on it’s knees it could squeeze in. There’s no evidence of that and it completely misses the point. It’s hyperbole. Like, “a snowball’s chance in hell.” “When pigs fly.” Nobody talks about coolers and catapults. The point is with man it is impossible. You can’t get in on your own, only God, only his grace.
Read v. 26. The disciples were amazed at his words. Shocked, astonished, dismayed. Why? Because in Jewish theology wealth was always equated with God’s blessing. But you have Job’s 3 friends who falsely made this connection. Job was righteous, and his friends said, “but your poor.” Today we don’t view it that way. In society wealth is usually assumed to be ill-gotten. The more wealthy you are the more suspicious you are. Savannah and I dated during the “Occupy Wall Street” movement. Rousseau said, “When the people shall have nothing more to eat, they will eat the rich.”
How do you
to
?
This has incredibly practical implications. First, remember the rich young man. Think about him. Is money a barrier between you and full-hearted devotion? This changes how we look at wealth. For every one time Jesus warns us about lust and sexual immorality, he warns us ten times about money. Something to pray & do.
7 Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die: 8 Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, 9 lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God. —Proverbs 30:7–9
“Neither poverty nor riches.” Give us this day our daily bread.
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs…
17 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life. —1 Timothy 6:17–19
Look at the commands here. The secret is generosity. The primary test is how much you give. That’s one of the reasons why we talk about the offering every week. It’s not about money, it’s about discipleship. This might entail basic financial responsibility. Don’t be a slave. “Don’t buy stuff you cannot afford” SNL. I recommend “The Treasure Principle” as a place to start.
The only way to release the grip on the treasure of money is to grip onto the greater treasure of Christ. Read 2 Corinthians 8:9. He was the ultimate Rich Young Ruler who left his throne and his wealth so that you might become rich in him.
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. —2 Corinthians 8:9
An example. Missionary Jim Elliot was actually born in Portland, Oregon in 1927. Went to Wheaton and had strong desire towards mission work. In the 50’s he went to Ecuador to a remote people group. He and 4 others were killed by the spears of those he tried to reach. He was 28. Elisabeth moved there and shared the gospel, saving many.
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” —JIm Elliot