The Rich Young Ruler
Council of Perfection. Riches a hindrance.
(The Gospel History, Section 119)
And as he was going forth into the way, a certain ruler ran to him, and kneeled to him, and asked him, saying. Good Master, what good thing shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? and askest thou me concerning that which is good? None is good save one, even God. But if thou wouldest enter into life keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? And Jesus said, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. And the young man said unto him, Master, all these things have I observed from my youth up: what lack I yet? And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest yet: if thou wouldest be perfect, go, sell all that thou hast and distribute to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. But when the young man heard the saying his countenance fell, and he went away exceeding sorrowful: for he was one that had great possessions.
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(The Saviour of the World, Vol VII Book I Poem XVII)
As Christ was going forth one day,
A man came running, “Lord, I pray,
Counsel thy servant, for I seek
That ‘life eternal’ Thou didst speak
About within my hearing then
When Thou taught’st multitudes of men.”
The Lord surveyed him kneeling there
In pride of early manhood fair,
Equipped as one of good estate
Yet eager, humble in his gait.
We know the tale, how Jesus loved
That ardent soul His words had moved:
How the young man, examined, shewed
With high integrity imbued,
And yet had grace to comprehend
Some lack which he would fain amend:
Riches, place, name, high rectitude,—
With ample gifts was he endued,
And yet exceeding sorrowful
He left the Lord more merciful
Though Jesus loved the candid soul
Had come to Him to be made whole!
Ah me! The judge surveyed his heart
Perceived, for him, the better part
Was not “eternal life,” but all
That wealth which could his soul enthral
The while uneasy feeless sent
By quickened conscience sedulous went
In search of what? A compromise
Should seem to give what he denies,
His soul and heart, his life and ways,
To Whom is due man’s life and praise.
‘The limb must go’ the surgeon cries;
‘Life rather,’ the sick man replies:
So Christ would amputate the limb
Which, mortifying, rendered him
Incapable of the life he sought:
‘Of all thy wealth thou shalt keep nought;
Give to the poor and follow Me,
So life eternal shalt thou see!’
Discovered to himself, aware
For the first time, how here and there
His wealth had proved the while he thought
He lightly sold and lightly bought
While deeper things within had play,
The man went sorrowful away.
St. Matthew xix. 16-22;
St. Mark x. 17-27;
St. Luke xviii. 18-23
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Commentary by J. R. Dummelow
Mt 19:16–22. The rich young man (Mk 10:17 Lk 18:18). St. Luke calls him a ‘ruler,’ i.e. either a member of the Sanhedrin, or a ruler of a synagogue. The incident is a striking example of the seductive power of wealth. The young man was so good, and so near to the Kingdom of God, that Jesus ‘looked upon him and loved him’ (Mk): and yet he failed, because though he loved the Kingdom much, he loved money more.
Mk 10:18. Why callest, etc.] Since Jesus declares Himself, and is repeatedly declared by others to be sinless (Jn 6:61 8:46 14:30 1 Pet 2:22 1 Jn 3:5, etc.), this cannot mean that He was not good, but that for some reason or other on the present occasion He refused the title. (1) According to some He refused it, because in the sense in which it was offered, it was unequal to His merits and His claims. The young man, they think, called Him good, in the sense in which he would have called any eminent Rabbi good, whereupon our Lord pointedly remarked that only God is good, meaning, ‘If you call me good in the same sense in which God is good, I am willing to accept it, but if you call me good in a merely human sense I reject it as insufficient.’ (2) The other view is that the human nature of Christ, although ‘sinless’ during the whole of His earthly life, was not ‘good’ in the absolute sense. He advanced in ‘goodness.’ Passing through the different stages of a truly human experience, He acquired by conscious effort the virtues proper to each. He learned obedience (Heb 5:8), and was perfected through sufferings (Heb 2:10). He was truly tempted as we are, yet without sin (Heb 2:18 4:15), and maintained His virtue by prayer and constant watchfulness (Heb 5:7 Mt 14:23f.). God, however, is ‘good’ absolutely. He can neither be tempted of evil nor advance in goodness. It is only as God, not as man, that Christ is ‘good’ in the absolute sense.
Mt 19:18. All the commandments selected are those which test a man’s love to his neighbour. Love of one’s neighbour is a better test of inward religion than ceremonial piety.
Mt 19:20. All these things, etc.] The answer showed how little the young man knew his own heart, but he was only repeating the vain-glorious boasting of his teachers. The Talmud represents God as speaking of ‘My sanctified ones, who have kept the whole law from Aleph to Taw.’ Moses, Aaron, and Samuel were said to have kept the whole Law. It is said that when Rabbi Chanina lay upon his death-bed, he said to the angel of death, ‘Bring hither the book of the Law, and see whether there is anything in it which I have not observed.’
Mt 19:21. If thou wouldest be perfect] Jesus, who knew what is in man, knew that love of wealth was this man’s besetting sin. He therefore urged him to abandon it, according to the precept, ‘If thine eye offend thee, pluck it out.’ Jesus was dealing with a case of covetousness, and, therefore, prescribed a proper remedy for covetousness, without recommending its general and indiscriminate adoption. Treasure in heaven] > Mt 6:19–21. When do we lay up ‘treasure in heaven’? Whenever we give alms (v. 2), or pray (v. 5), or fast (v. 16), to please God rather than man. But these three examples are only introduced to prepare the way for the wider principle that in every action of our lives, and not only in almsgiving, prayer, and fasting, it is possible to lay up treasure in heaven. Not only by the right use of wealth, but by the right use of any faculty, talent, or opportunity with which God has entrusted us, heavenly treasure is laid up. Even when we are doing nothing actively for God, but are only patiently suffering what He wills that we should bear, we are laying up treasure in heaven. Every act, however small, which is done purely for the glory of God, and for no lower motive, will receive its reward.