TEXT: Mark 10:17-27

SUBJECT: Meeting the Lord #11: Rich Young Ruler

A few weeks ago, we began a study called "Meeting the Lord". It's goal is not to fill time, but to introduce you to Jesus Christ. Some of you have no meaningful knowledge of the Lord. I pray today's sermon will change that. Most of us, though, know Jesus Christ. Some of us have known Him for many years. Yet we are not satisfied with our present knowledge! We agree with the hymn,

"More about Jesus would I know,

More of His love to others show;

More of His saving fullness see,

More of His love Who died for me".

We want to "Grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ". What better way to know Him than to study His life in the Gospels? May God bless our study for Christ's sake. Amen.

The story takes place in Judea, near the city of Jericho. Our Lord is on His way to Jerusalem, where He must die a cursed death to redeem those who are under the curse.

But before He gets there, He runs into a man who's mighty glad to meet Him. He's the "Rich Young Ruler". This man has it all: Youth, money, power. But he's so not happy about himself; something's missing.

What is it? It is "eternal life". He comes to Christ to learn how to get it. You notice he comes very eagerly and humbly. A man of his station was used to giving audiences, not seeking them. At other times, he was the benefactor; but this day, it is he who comes seeking a favor.

"What must I do to inherit eternal life?" he wants to know.

Our Lord replies: "You know the commandments". Of course he does; he's a devout Jew: No adultery, no murder, no theft, no lying, no cheating--and honor your parents.

Why does our Lord bring up the Law? Following the Reformers and Puritans, Walter Chantry explains:

Samuel Bolton said the same thing in these memorable words:

These men say our Lord cited the Law to humble the proud ruler. The problem with their view is...it didn't work!

The young man had kept the Law from his youth. Yet it did not confer eternal life. Was he a hypocrite, superficial, or self-deceived? No one spotted hypocrisy like our Lord; yet He does not charge the man with that sin. If He doesn't, neither should we.

If not to humble the man, why then did our Lord bring up the Law? It was to humble...the Law! To prove that it could never save a man, no matter how well he kept it. In the words of Paul, it was to show "What the Law could not do". Why can't the Law save? Because it's uninspired, untrue, unworthy? Of course not. It cannot save because it was never intended to save.

The Rich Young Ruler is an impeccable Jew, but he's still not saved. "What must I do to inherit eternal life"?

Our Lord tells him. He must sell everything he has, give the proceeds to the poor, take up his cross, and follow Jesus Christ. If he does these things, he will be saved!

What does this mean? Walter Chantry explains:

The problem with this view is it doesn't square with the text or with the general teaching of the Bible. Note the following:

Why then, does our Lord bring up this requirement? Is salvation found in selling everything you have? It isn't. Is poverty virtuous? No necessarily. Then why is it here?

Our Lord said this to expose the man's heart. What is wrong with the Rich Young Ruler? He doesn't love money more than anyone else. He trusts it! "How hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God".

Loving money is a universal problem. Trusting money is the Rich Man's Sin. "The rich man's wealth is his strong city" says Proverbs 18:11. I Timothy 6:17 warns the rich to not "trust in uncertain riches". The Rich Fool, of course, died trusting his money--"Take your ease...you have goods laid up for many years". Many other verses could be cited to the same effect.

The Young Man trusted his money more than he trusted Christ. Because of this, he "went away grieved, for he had many possessions".

The Theme.

This is the theme of today's story: How hard it is to give up every trust but Christ--and how necessary.

Rich people tend to trust their riches. Smart people trust their intelligence. Successful people trust their success. Hard working people trust their hard work. Good people trust their goodness. Religious people trust their religion. Good talkers trust their good talk. Solid doctrinal people trust their solid doctrine.

Whatever you trust must be surrendered to Jesus Christ. Salvation is not in the church, not in theology, not in morality; it is in Christ alone. "Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved".

The disciple of Christ has many problems, many weaknesses, many sins, many mistakes, but he has only one trust--our Lord Jesus.

To encourage you to trust Christ alone, let me remind you of two things you know very well, but are apt to forget.

The first is: The short-sightedness and folly of trusting anything else. Peter tells us this world and everything in it will melt with fervent heat. The Rich Man's money? Of course. But not only that. Your brain will too; and your body. So will your books, your church, and your good works. Everything reduced to molten lava! Would you build a house on a volcano--while it was erupting? If not, then don't place your trust on anything in this world, but the whole thing is about to go off. Boom! You've got nothing.

The second: The wisdom of trusting Christ alone. Our Lord is not subject to the curse, not subject to death, not subject to decay. "They will perish--waxed the Psalmist--"But [He] remains; they grow old and will be changed, but [He] is the same. His years will not fail". Your trust in Christ cannot be shaken--because He cannot be shaken!

"He only is my Rock and He is my defense;

I shall not be greatly moved".

How do you trust Christ with all your heart? Think about it: You're out hiking one day when you come to a high and wide gorge. There is a bridge going across, but you're not sure it's safe. If it broke you would certainly die. Assuming you had no special equipment to test its sturdiness, how would you decide if it was safe or not? The best way to do it is to look at the thing! What are the pillars made of? Balsa wood or reinforced concrete? How about the cables? Are they like grape vines or eight inches across? What about the road? Is it made of paper or is it paved? If the bridge looked flimsy, I wouldn't go across. But if it looked solid, I would.

Now, look at Christ. Does He look like a weak, unreliable Savior? Or does He look "mighty to save"? "Able to the utmost to save those who come to Him!" If the Bible is true, He looks mighty good! And it is true, for "God cannot lie".

Back to the bride: If you still weren't sure, maybe this would help you: Look what's going across. If the bridge can hold others, it can hold you. Now, back to Christ: Has anyone been let down by Him? Nobody has. He's saved people worse than you are; He can save you. People in worse danger than you are found Him "A bulwark never failing"; so will you.

Long ago, a man met the Lord Jesus, and went away in tears. Now, you have the same choice: Trust Him. Or trust something else. You can't have it both ways; the Ruler would have liked it that way, but he couldn't have it! Neither can you. God give you the grace to choose wisely.

"On Christ the solid rock I stand,

All other ground is sinking sand".