Explore the Bible
By Robert Olsen, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Christian Ministries, University of Mobile
What Is Required?
Matthew 19:16–26
Standard Defined (16–20)
This story begins with a question that is of eternal significance — what must I do to have eternal life?
One of the themes throughout Matthew is the idea that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament Scriptures; He is the awaited Messiah who is God in flesh.
When the man calls Jesus “good,” Jesus responds by asking him why he calls Him good?
After all only God is good. Some see this as Christ’s denial of His divinity.
A better reading which is consistent throughout the gospel is that Jesus is in fact asserting that He is good and thereby is God.
It is a rhetorical question Jesus asks, saying in effect, “You call me good and since God alone is good do you recognize Me as divine?”
In response to the man’s question Jesus points to the commandments of God, of which the young ruler claims to have obeyed.
However, we know from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount that just following the external form of the law is not enough because we need to be concerned with our internal motivations.
After all God judges the heart not just our actions.
Impossible to Keep (21–22)
Since this man had many possessions Jesus knew right where to convict him.
He told him to sell his possessions and give the proceeds to the poor, a thing the man refused to do.
The man put his money before God, making it his god and thus breaking the first commandment.
He also was not loving his neighbor by giving his money to the poor. Instead he chose his wealth and comfort over helping others.
We may see the man’s short-sightedness and think he is a fool for choosing wealth over eternal glory but we often are in danger of doing the same thing.
Most of us don’t have the wealth he had but Jesus calls all of us to give up that which we treasure the most — be it wealth, comfort, family, jobs or security.
The point of Jesus’ response is not that we all need to give up our money but rather all of us need to give up that which we place before God.
It is crucial we count the cost of following Jesus, which costs us everything. But it is worth it.
Pray and ask God to help show us the areas of our lives that need to be given over to Him.
Provision to Accept (23–26)
In the end Jesus reveals there is no work that can save us; only God can.
This is what separates Christianity from all other major world religions.
Christianity is a religion of grace — Jesus Christ died for us to pay the price we could not.
If we believe this and make Jesus our Lord and Savior, we have eternal life.
It is not about what we can do — it is what Christ does for us.
All other religions say we have to do something — we have to be good enough or we have to give money or possessions in order to have eternal life.
But in Christianity we give nothing because Christ gave everything.
And this is a wonderful thought, to realize the God of the universe loved us so much that He sent Christ to die for us so we can be reconciled to God.
Our rightful response is to bow down and worship this kingly Savior.
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