From Matthew 19:16-22 / The Missing Piece

There is so very much to consider in this well known scene. Mark points out the effusive use of “good teacher” in his Gospel. An approach which would have been considered over the top in his day. Luke condenses the account to embrace and focus on what we have here in vss. 23-30. But what is central to all three accounts is this: How it is Jesus must restate the question in order to get to the real issue at hand. You ask me about WHAT is good. The question is not “what” is good, but “WHOM” is good. You cannot DO something good enough, you must BE good, the way God is – perfectly and in Himself. That is not a question of acts but of nature.

Jesus does not introduce some new, lower standard than has always been the case. The standard of goodness always has been and still is – God Himself. To obtain eternal life by one’s own good works, would require one’s goodness to rise to the level of God’s own. No wonder “with man this is impossible.” v-26

You are not good, so how can you do some good work which will give you eternal life. It is the wrong question. What you need to do is go back to see your inability to keep even the Law, let alone some superlative work which would bestow the Kingdom on you.

John Newton writes: “Yet one thing, we read, was [lacking]. What could this one thing be, which rendered so fair a character of no value? We may collect it from the event. He [lacked] a deep sense of his need of a Saviour. If he had been possessed of this one thing, he would willingly have relinquished all to follow Jesus. But ignorant of the spirituality of the law, he trusted to a defective obedience; and the love of the world prevailing in his heart, he chose rather to part with Christ than with his possessions.”

Note second, how this raises another vital question: So how can I BE good like God, so as to have eternal life? And this is where the Gospel is such good news; only by the imputed righteousness of Christ.

In vs. 19, it is the last of the mere commandments toward men that Jesus is about to press upon him. The Ruler believes he has done all the Law requires. But under examination, it is clear he has not – for he does not love his neighbor as himself, else giving all to his neighbor would only be like giving to himself. Here is where the Law will expose Him. Nor did he love God supremely, or the promise of Heaven, of being eternally with God and in His manifest presence would be worth everything. No, he had NOT done all these from his youth up. Our human pride deludes us so.

So it is in vs. 20, he is about to have his eyes opened – for he has fooled his own heart into thinking he has kept the law in regard to his neighbor. His question betrays two things:

a. His blind sense of his own sin. He imagines himself already righteous to God’s standard.

b. His belief that he can do something over and above the righteousness of God to obligate God to give him eternal life. That eternal life can be bought, and that it is not given as a gift of grace to sinners.

Note third: And slightly different (yet allied) to Newton’s statement – What did he still lack?

And the answer is – Faith. You will not believe that following me is worth the loss of everything else, even when I, the Son of Man, tell it to you face to face.

In 21, Jesus reveals his heart to him. Really, if you think you’ve actually done these, then let me show you what that would really look like, for you cannot truly love your neighbor as yourself until you’ve done everything you can to follow me in abandon and to pursue the kingdom to come in faith. You think you’ve kept the second portion of the Law as concerns love to neighbor, how about the first – love to God supremely? Do you recognize me as God, and that to love me supremely, above all you have is also required? Apparently not.

But if you really want to be perfect, you will have to have the heart and mind of God. He cares nothing for anything the World views as precious. His heart is one which will give all to those who have nothing.

Note fourth: The baseline argument is – Do what I have done. I have left all of Heaven. I have come in the likeness of sinful man. I have made myself poor so that others may be rich. I have forsaken all, that I may follow the Father’s will – trusting that what is before me, is worth it all. “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 Cor. 8:9

Note fifth: Sadly, tragically, in 22, the man goes away – apparently befuddled, and clearly unable to fulfill the law he already claimed to have kept from his youth up. He wanted God on his own terms – not on God’s. He would do ANYTHING, except believe he was a sinner in need of grace.

So it is with all who will not come needy, but who come supposing themselves to be rich toward God in their own righteousness (24). Until they give that up, it is impossible for them to be saved (26).

Note lastly: How Jesus confronts this man, is not to be universally applied as though none can follow Christ if they have earthly wealth. It is only if such wealth keeps them from trusting in Him alone for right standing with God.

In the Jewish mindset of the day, this made no sense. As the Old Covenant often placed material prosperity as a sign that one was “blessed” by God, favored, how can it be that one who has all the signs of God’s favor can still be far from eternal life? In this, many erred having believed that God’s outward covenantal blessings were ends in themselves, and not types and shadows of the real wealth of truly knowing and walking with God. Having made the Mosaic covenant an end in itself, they missed the reality of what it was pointing to.

Many even now, apart from the the Sinaiatic covenant, assume that earthly possessions and comforts means God is pleased with them as they are. They will even say “I am blessed.” And indeed they are. But being outwardly blessed is not the same as being in right standing with God. It only makes them responsible to steward those blessings for Christ’s Kingdom.

or, if in keeping their wealth, they must give themselves over to sin in protecting, growing and using their wealth. Abraham was rich. Job was rich. Solomon was rich. This state does not automatically condemn a man. But it is a state with its own very real and very treacherous pitfalls. Hence the prayer of Prov. 30:8 & 9 – “give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, 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.” Each state has its attendant snares.