Overview
Gary Frederick examines Jesus Christ’s encounter with the rich young ruler in Mark 10. The record shows Christ loving the man while identifying the one thing he lacked: loving and trusting God above his possessions. The teaching distinguishes money from the love of money, explains the difficulty of trusting riches, and closes with the inseparable love of God in Christ.
Transcript
Jesus Christ Loved with God’s Love
God bless you. God's love is powerful. It changed my life from a census man to a man who loves God and loves God's word.
Jesus Christ loved with God's love, and the Gospels are full of great examples of how Jesus Christ loved people with God's love. In many of the records, we see how Jesus Christ loved with compassion and without judgment by his example. There are even a few records that specifically state that Jesus Christ loves someone.
Today, I want to look at one of those records. It's a record where God's word specifically brings to our attention that Jesus Christ loves someone. And this record is rather unique because the individual or the man that Jesus Christ loved is someone that he was most likely not familiar with before the man approached him.
Today, we're going to be looking in the book of Mark. We're going to be looking at chapter 10. You can go ahead and turn there.
And the verses we'll be looking at are 17 through 30. There are two other companion records to this book, to the record in Mark. One is in Matthew chapter 19, verses 16 through 26.
And the other is in Luke chapter 18, verses 18 through 30. You can look at those records on your own sometime in the future, but today we're going to be focusing on Mark. So we'll start in chapter 10, verse 17.
And when he was going 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? The record in Matthew adds that the young man or the man was young. And the record in Luke adds that he was a ruler. So this young ruler comes to Jesus and in a show of respect, as a teacher and spokesman for God, he addresses him as good master.
He then asks, what does he need to do to inherit eternal life? Verse 18. And Jesus said unto him, why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, and that is God. Jesus Christ does not take issue with the young ruler referring to him as master, but he does correct him for calling him good and tells him that only God is good.
The Rich Young Ruler’s Question
So in his initial response to the man, Jesus Christ is letting this young ruler know that all goodness comes from God and not from him. In verse 19. Thou knowest the commandments, do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not bear false witness, defraud not, honor thy father and mother.
The record in Matthew does not include the phrase defraud not, but adds love thy neighbor as thyself. And the record in Luke does not include either. Verse 20.
And he answered and said unto him, master, all these things I have observed from my youth. So here, the young ruler refers to Jesus Christ as master. Previously, he referred to him as good master.
So clearly, he is listening to Jesus Christ and what Jesus Christ is instructing him because he dropped the good and just referred to him as master. It is interesting that in Matthew, it includes loving thy neighbor as thyself, which in Matthew chapter 22 is not the first, but the second commandment that Jesus Christ gives responding to the question that a Pharisee asks, which is the first and great commandment. And of course, the first commandment was love the Lord God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
This young ruler responds to Jesus Christ that from his youth, he has adhered to the law. Love in this verse is the Greek word agape. So Jesus Christ loved him with the love of God.
And he tells him with that love what he must do to overcome his lack. He tells the young ruler to sell everything he has and to give it to the poor. The very next verse helps us understand what he was lacking and why Jesus Christ told him to sell everything.
Verse 22, and he, the young ruler, was sad at the saying and went away grieved for he had great possessions. This young ruler came to Jesus Christ to learn what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. Not only did the young ruler learn that it was available, he was also told exactly what he needed to do to have it.
He got the very answer he was looking for. And what did he do? He walked away grieved. What he wanted was within his grasp.
It was right there. But the young ruler was wealthy and he went away grieved because his love for his wealth was greater than his love for God. The young ruler had put his trust in his wealth and it's likely that his identity was in his wealth.
What Jesus Christ told him to do made him sad because even though he expressed the desire to inherit eternal life, he was not willing to give up his wealth and likely his identity for it. As I mentioned earlier in Matthew, Jesus cites the second great commandment but not the first and the young ruler responds that he's done all. If Jesus Christ had included the first commandment from Matthew chapter 22, love the Lord God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, the young ruler would not have been able to honestly answer that he had done all.
Loving God First
For loving God first was the very thing he lacked. He loved and trusted in his possessions. They were first in his life, verse 23.
And Jesus looked round about and said unto his disciples, how hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God. And the disciples were astonished at his words. And 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.
The kingdom of God is referring to God's sovereignty and care over all things at all times. This does include the future, but as we'll see when we get to verse 30, what Jesus Christ is referring to is the now and the future. The young ruler came and asked about inheriting eternal life.
Jesus Christ raised the bar. He's talking about not just the future, but also now, the kingdom of God. The word hardly means with difficulty.
Jesus Christ explains to his disciples what just took place when the young ruler said he wanted to inherit eternal life. It's more difficult for those that have riches to enter into the kingdom of God. It does not say that those with riches can't enter the kingdom of God.
It simply says that it's more difficult. And the difficulty is that those with riches tend to love their riches and put their trust in them rather than God. In verse 25, 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.
Now, taking this verse literally would mean that it is an impossibility for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God because clearly, getting a camel, an exceptionally large animal through the eye of a needle would be impossible. If this were the case, it would contradict what was said in verse 23, how hardly or with difficulty shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God. So there must be another explanation and of course there is.
In fact, biblical scholars reference two completely different possibilities but both of them fit well within the context. The Aramaic word for camel in this verse is gamal and can be translated rope, camel, beam or something larger than the object spoken of. In Greek, the word for camel is kamelion, K-A-M-E-L-O-N and the word for rope is kamalion, K-A-M-I-L-O-N.
The only difference is the E in the word for camel and the I in the word for rope. So with the Aramaic word being the same and only a letter difference in the Greek words, it's understandable that some biblical scholars say it is simply a combination of a bad translation and a misspelled word and the verse should read, it is easier for a rope to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And that fits with Mark chapter 10 verse 23, a rope is thick and would be difficult to thread through the small opening of an eye of a needle but with determination and skill, it could be done.
The Eye of a Needle and Trust in Riches
The second explanation is that in Jerusalem during biblical times, there was a little narrow gate that was referred to as the eye of a needle. And in order for a camel to fit through this little narrow gate or the eye of a needle, it had to be unloaded of its burden. And even then it was difficult for a large camel to fit through the narrow gate.
Based on this explanation, just as a camel is to be unloaded of its burden to pass through the gate or the eye of a needle, a rich man must also be unloaded of his burden to pass through the gate to the kingdom of God. The young ruler's burden was his trust in his wealth, which was holding him back from putting God first. And both of these explanations fit well with Mark 10, 23, where Jesus Christ says it is with difficulty that a rich man can enter into the kingdom of God.
Verse 26, 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. It is not possible for men to save themselves. And this is true for all men, not just a rich man.
But it's not true for God. With God all things are possible. Therefore Jesus Christ said to the young rich man, there is none good but one, that is God.
God is all good, and with God all things are possible. Verse 28, then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and we have followed thee. And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, there is no man that left house or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my sake and the gospels but, a pretty big but here, but he shall receive a hundredfold now in this time houses and brethren and sisters and mothers and children and lands with persecutions and in the world to come eternal life.
Jesus Christ is talking about now and the future, the kingdom of God. I just love reading about Peter. Many times, especially in the gospels, he just seems so human.
So here he is, after hearing about how hard it is for a rich man to get to heaven, he has to remind Jesus Christ as if he needed to be reminded of all the sacrifices he and the other disciples made in order to follow him. Jesus tells Peter whatever sacrifices anybody has made for the gospels sake, they're going to receive it all back now and in the eternal life in the world yet to come. As we read this example of Christ's love for the young rich ruler and his love for the disciples, we need to keep in mind that during Christ's time on earth, the Judeans were still under the Mosaic law.
The six commandments that Jesus asked the young rich ruler if he was following are just a fraction of the commandments and sacrifices adhering to the Mosaic law required. The only man that was able to fulfill the Mosaic law was our Redeemer and our Savior, Jesus Christ. Even though we live in the age of grace, there is still much we can learn from this record.
God's goodness transcends time. He was pure goodness in the beginning and he is still pure goodness today. As Jesus Christ said in Mark 10 27, with men it is impossible but not with God, for with God all things are possible.
The Love of Money Versus Trust in God
God is all good and with him all things are possible. It was possible for the young rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. God was not stopping him because of his wealth.
It was the trust the young ruler had in his wealth rather than God. It was the love the young ruler had for his possessions and not for God that caused the lack in the man's life. Turn to 1st Timothy, we'll be looking in chapter 6, 1st Timothy chapter 6 verse 10.
For the love of money is the root of all evil, which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. This verse says it is the love of money that is the root of all evil. It does not say money is the root of all evil.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with having money. In fact, I can think of a lot of nice things money can provide. This wonderful facility we're in is provided by money.
The meals that we're going to be enjoying at this event took money. I would imagine it took money for you to travel here and participate in this event. The problem for the young rich man can be a problem for some today.
When you put your allegiance to money or wealth, it becomes an idol that you put before God. And it's the idolatry that is the evil. It's not the money itself.
I was raised in an upper middle class environment. I would not say we were wealthy, but I was accustomed to having pretty much anything I needed. During my senior year in high school, my dad's business went bankrupt.
And literally overnight, I went from being able to attend any college I wanted, well, let me qualify, any college that would accept me, to being told, hey Gary, if you want to go to college, you're going to have to get a scholarship. And for me, it was going to have to be an athletic scholarship, because an academic scholarship was clearly out of the question. I had learned to put my trust in my parents and their money.
Trusting God was never a consideration of mine. So for the next four years, I worked hard to keep my athletic scholarship. And I was equally determined to finally start doing good in school, so I could get a good paying job when I graduated and make a lot of money.
A Personal Transformation Through Love
I was driven to become financially successful. During this time, I was introduced to God and his word. But it wasn't until my senior year, when I was about to graduate, that all the love a young couple gave me through the years in college, finally started to break down the walls that I had built in my life, because of my focus on becoming financially successful.
I finally grew enough in God's word to replace my lust for wealth with a love for God. When I think back on my arrogance and secular focus, it amazes me that anyone would love someone like that. But they sure did.
It reminds me of how Jesus Christ loved with compassion and without judgment. Upon graduating, I turned down what would have likely been a very lucrative job in the financial field, so I could work with this couple, moving the greatness of God's word. And that, along with asking my wife to marry me, are the two best decisions I've ever made.
And I can honestly say that money has never been a primary focal point for the decisions that my wife and I have made through the years. And over the years, we have seen God prosperous. For us, it was a pretty slow process, and I believe that was specifically for me, because for me, it was the best way that I could learn how to handle the increase.
And of course, I have had to make a conscious effort to not allow the lust or love for money that I had during my college years back into my thinking. I was loved like Jesus Christ was loved, and it changed my life. In Mark 10, verse 21, it reads, Then Jesus, beholding him, loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest, go thy way, and sell whatever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven.
Jesus loved the young rich ruler, but the man was not willing to make the sacrifices necessary to fill the lack in what was needed for him to enter the kingdom of God. Today, in the age of grace, all the sacrifices necessary have already been made. All we have to do to have eternal life is believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and believe that God raised him from the dead.
Jesus Christ loved you and me so much that he endured everything he had to endure so that you and I would not have to endure it ourselves. That is the ultimate expression of the love of Christ. I think back on the love that married couple gave me.
I'm sure I disappointed them from time to time, but they never gave up on me. Turn to Romans, chapter 8. We'll look at verse 35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or pearl, or sword? As it is written, for thy sake we are all killed all the day long.
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Nothing Separates Us from God’s Love
God's word couldn't be any clearer. There is absolutely nothing, nothing that can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. Jesus Christ loved with God's love, and each of us has the capacity to do the same.
And we can take that love, and we can love someone else. Now we can't make anybody love God, and we can't make anybody love his only begotten son, Jesus Christ. But we can love others, and show by our example just how powerful the love of God is.
I believe I am here today as a living example of just how much being loved by someone as Jesus Christ loved can change someone's life. Thank you.
Key Takeaways
- Jesus Christ loved the rich young ruler while honestly identifying what was lacking in his life.
- The ruler’s central problem was not possessing wealth but loving and trusting wealth above God.
- Loving God first requires placing confidence in God rather than possessions, status, or personal identity.
- Money itself is not called evil; the love of money and the idolatry attached to it are the problem.
- Believers can show others the same transforming love of God that Jesus Christ demonstrated.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the rich young ruler lack?
The teaching explains that he lacked loving God first. His love for and trust in his possessions were greater than his willingness to trust God and follow what Jesus Christ told him.
Does the teaching say that money itself is evil?
No. It distinguishes money from the love of money, explaining that the problem is idolatry—placing allegiance, identity, and trust in wealth rather than in God.
How did Jesus Christ show love to the rich young ruler?
Jesus Christ loved him with God’s love and gave him an honest answer about the burden that was preventing him from putting God first.
Scripture References
Mark 10:17-30; Matthew 19:16-26; Luke 18:18-30; Matthew 22:37-39; 1 Timothy 6:10; Romans 8:35-39
This text was prepared from the source transcript. Please verify scripture references against your own Bible.
