Now behold, one came and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?" So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments" (Matthew 19:16-17).
This young ruler had much going for him. He had youth, riches and position. He was also religious and morally minded. Yet he knew something was needed for him to be complete, to gain eternal life. He therefore asks Jesus to tell him what that was. Jesus told him to “keep the commandments.” Why?
It’s informative that Jesus addresses the second tablet of the Decalogue to the man. The last six commandments concern our relationship to others. Yet Jesus omits the Tenth Commandment concerning covertness. Instead He sums it up by telling him, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (verse 19). The man coveted his wealth! His love for money was a wedge between him and God, and others.
We are born with a void, a void only God can fill. We try to fill it in various ways: money, status, work, alcohol, drugs, sports or the arts, relationships, education, religion, etc. We may feign righteousness by trying to keep the commandments through human will power, but this will not succeed. The void within us can only be filled by God and His love. His love is unselfish and sacrificial. He loves because He is love (1John 4:8).
God’s law is founded upon the principle of unselfish love (Matthew 22:35-40). It must be brought into us; His law needs to be written in our hearts and minds (Jeremiah 31:33; Hebrews 8:10). How? God’s finger wrote the Decalogue in stone (Exodus 31:18). His finger also writes the law in our hearts and minds through the Holy Spirit (cf. Luke 11:20 & Matthew 12:28). He does so by filling our void with His love and presence (Romans 5:5)!
What this young ruler still lacked therefore was love! Only through love can we truly keep the commandments. Therefore, Jesus tells the man to divest of his riches and give to the poor, and follow Him. In that way the idol wedged in his heart and mind would be smashed and God would take its place. He would be freed from his idols and enabled to freely love God and serve others.
Jesus tells the man to: go, sell, give and follow (Matthew 19:21). To go meant he would have to act on Jesus’ word. Selling meant to barter or exchange in ancient times. He needed to exchange his unrighteousness for Christ’s righteousness. Then he could receive God’s love and give it to others in practical and tangible ways. Jesus would lead and empower the young man as he followed Him.
However the young ruler rejected Jesus’ offer and left sorrowful. Don’t do the same! Surrender any idol you may have and follow Jesus. God’s love and joy will fill your soul.
Picture used by permission of Lumo Project
