Will earthly money or possessions keep you from eternal life? Do you have to give up everything to get to heaven? That seems to be in the implication, at least on the surface, when you read about Jesus’ encounter with the rich young ruler.
And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions. And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
Mark 10:17-23, KJV
Many people who read this passage naturally conclude that Jesus is taking a strong stand against wealth or earthly possessions. It seems that He is saying that earthly wealth is incompatible with a heavenly future. This interpretation is only deepened when one reflects on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Matthew 6:19-24, KJV
If you read these verses on the surface, it seems pretty open and shut: Money is bad. If you want eternal life or treasures in heaven, get rid of it and stay away from it. That seems to be what the Bible is saying, right?
Well…
If money and possessions are bad, how do you explain Job, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, David, and Solomon?
But it isn’t just the wealthy heroes of the faith who repudiate the notion that earthly wealth is incompatible with eternal life. You have many people in the Bible who might be described as upper-income, even if they weren’t extravagantly wealthy. People like Mary, the mother of John Mark (Acts 12), Cornelius (Acts 10), and Lydia (Acts 16).
So… No. Money is not inherently bad. You don’t necessarily have to give up all your money and possessions. You certainly don’t need to give up all that you own on this earth in order to obtain eternal life.
Then what does Jesus mean? I preached on this at Olney Baptist Church. If you want the full explanation, you can watch the sermon below.
If you don’t have 40 minutes, though… here’s the short version.
The rich young ruler wanted to know how he could earn eternal life. Jesus wanted to show him that he can’t earn eternal life. Jesus’ teaching style, however, wasn’t always direct. He often used stories and questions to lead people to the realization He wanted for them. This was what was going on His encounter with this young man. Unfortunately, the young man walked away before Jesus finished the lesson.
Jesus begins the lesson by establishing the standard for “good.” When it comes to virtue and righteousness, no one is truly good except for God Himself. That is the foundational point–the crucial point–in Jesus’ lesson.
Once you understand that God is the standard for (and embodiment of) “good” and then it sinks in that you’re not God, then it becomes evident (pretty quickly and clearly) that there is no way you can achieve that standard. But…
The rich young ruler didn’t get that right away, so Jesus asked him about the commandments. The rich young ruler then boasts that he has observed all the commandments from his youth. Now, if anyone truly understands the commandments–in their fullest–then that person should understand he has NOT faithfully observed all the commandments!
The rich young ruler did NOT understand this, so Jesus then gave him a challenge.
Jesus challenges the man on the First Commandment (“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” -Exodus 20:3) and the Greatest Commandment (“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” – Deuteronomy 6:5). The rich young ruler claimed to have observed all the commandments, including these two, so Jesus puts him to the test:
“One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.” (Jesus in Mark 10:21)
Jesus is giving this guy a lesson on what love really means. Love isn’t about feelings. Love is about giving. We see that in God Himself who loved the world so much that He gave His son (see John 3:16). The currency of love is sacrifice.
Think of it this way…
Are you a parent? If you answered “yes,” then answer this question…
Would you give up all your possessions in order to save the life of your child?
What parent would answer “no” to that question? Answer: A parent who doesn’t love their child.
If you truly love someone with all your “heart,” “soul,” and “might,” then you would be willing to sacrifice all that you have for that person’s good, including your life. That, after all, is what God did for us.
Jesus isn’t telling the rich young ruler that he has to sell all his possessions to get eternal life. Jesus is telling him that his love is lacking. Let me say that again…
The rich young ruler is boasting that he has observed all the commandments, including the command to love God with all his heart, soul, and mind. Jesus tells him that his love lacks “one thing.” What’s that “one thing”?
Sacrifice!
That’s what the man’s love was lacking.
Love without sacrifice is empty love.
None of us should boast that we love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. God may just call our boast. By the way, this is what the Bible really has in mind when it talks about using the Lord’s name in vain.
People say a lot of things about God–how God leads them, blesses them, and guides them. And they love Him and how much they serve Him and listen to Him. Well… Do we? Do we really?
The disciples were often clueless when Jesus would teach. But not this time. This time, they “got” it. They understood it so well that they knew they were essentially in the same category of the “rich.” Look at what follows…
And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.
Mark 10:23-27
Do you see the realization dawn on the disciples? They were “astonished” at what He said. And then they asked the logical question: Who then can be saved?
Thankfully (for us), salvation doesn’t depend on our efforts. If it did, we’re all in trouble, because the answer to the disciples’ question would be: No one.
It’s only by the love and grace of God that we can be saved. It is God who makes our salvation possible, because with God, all things are possible!
The passage continues. I encourage you to read all of Mark 10. And also read Matthew’s and Luke’s accounts of this episode. There’s a lot to get into. A lot to dissect.
I just want to say for now that Jesus’ main points in all this are:
- Only God is good
- You aren’t God
- You can’t do enough or give enough to be good
- You need God
That’s the message. That’s the lessons you need to take away from Jesus’ encounter with the rich young ruler.
If only the rich young ruler had stayed around to hear all of it.
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