Possible with God

and a ruler asked him, good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?

Again, I think this is a good, honest question. He's asking a helpful question. What does it take, what does it require of me to enter eternal life? It's a rare moment. Usually when somebody's asking Jesus a question, they're trying to trick him. Or we see the disciples, they're rarely asking the right questions, so Jesus has to kinda change it for them. Here, we have a ruler. We don't know what kind of ruler he is. Could be a ruler of a synagogue, that would be someone who's in charge of a place like this, the public teaching of God's word in a town, or maybe even bigger, the ruler of a Sanhedrin, in the priestly class, those who were important governing officials. Regardless, he's a powerful man, an accomplished man, a respected man. And he comes and he asks one of the most important theological questions. And he asks God, what must I do? And we need to get focused here. We need to ask, is this the best question, the do part? We're gonna suspend judgment, we're gonna come back to that, but the doing, what must I do to inherit eternal life? If we go to the Old Testament, sheol is the same word used for heaven and hell. They don't have as much of a developed understanding of eternity. It's clear they have a teaching and a understanding of eternal life, but here we see this man understanding there's an important question to ask. And notice how he even addresses him, good teacher. Now, Jesus takes this opportunity. Why do you call me good? And notice the response, verse 19.

Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.

This has been oftentimes confused as to what Jesus is doing here. Let's be very clear, he is stating what is true. No one is good, no man is good. That's what Romans teaches us. Jesus is telling us only God is good. Jesus is communicating three important things. One, there's a recognition that only God is totally, truly, and perfectly good. Only God is truly, perfectly good. I believe also Jesus is helping him see he is the good God. Jesus is the good God who gives the good gifts. He is coming to ask the right person the right question. But in saying only God is good, he's also already putting forth him a problem with his question. He's already putting pinholes in the assumptions. No one else is good. Notice how Jesus continues to lead him along. Why do you call me good is helping him realize, well, no one's gonna be good enough. But you do know the commandments he says in verse 20. And then he lists them for him. And notice, these are all what we call the second table. These are all the commands that are measurable in terms of relationships with other humans.

Do not commit adultery. Do not murder. Do not steal. Do not bear false witness. Honor your father and mother.

Missing is the 10th commandment. Do not covet. Missing are the commands that more directly relate to God. As we think about these questions or these commandments, we have to understand, as we were looking at the Ten Commandments in our Wednesday night study, the law has to be used lawfully. The law was never meant to be used to prove or to earn your salvation. The law was never meant to be used to obey enough for your salvation. Romans 7 tells us no one is actually able to keep the law. The law has a very good specific purpose. It's a mirror. It shows us God's goodness in reflecting His will, and then it shows us our sin. And we can go even back to Deuteronomy 27 and 28 or James 2.10. If you fail in any part of the law, you fail in all of it. So this man, he's gonna say,

I've kept all of these for my youth.

Maybe he can go back and really check these boxes off of these specific commandments. That's not the way the law is supposed to be used. He's not even looking at the true intent of the law in that, has he really never lusted? As we know, that's what it means to not commit adultery. Has he never had anger? As we know, that's what it means to truly not murder. God has given these commandments so that we can see our sin. The problem here is this man, after hearing God himself, understand what's happening. The God of the law has just presented him, all right, have you done enough? And the man is boasting back to God, yeah, I've kept all your commandments. And then the moment, verse 22. Jesus, having heard this, said, one thing you still lack. Here we go. I really, we don't know this guy, we don't know what kind of a person he is. He's a ruler, he's important, he's powerful, he's rich, we're gonna see in a little while. Curious how he would react. Do you think he leans in? One more thing, huh? Kind of confident. You know, one more thing, he could probably handle one thing. One more thing, as they're leaning in, wanting to hear, all right, what else is it, the one thing else I've gotta do, because I've done such a good job with everything else. Or maybe it's suspicion. What do you mean, one more thing? I have done so much, how could I do any better? How would you respond? One more thing. Honestly, one thing sounds pretty good. I would like to think if I just had one command, you had one job, I feel like it would be pretty, I'd be excited about that. Maybe doable. Oh Jesus, he's applying. Surgical precision. One thing. God is giving him surgical precision. The great physician.

There's one thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and give to the poor.

The man was leaning forward, he just sunk down in his chair. And I recant that ridiculous thing I said earlier, if there was just one thing, I think I could do it. This one thing is too much for him. This one thing, God has given a precise revelation to his own heart. You're not as good as you think you are. You're not as obedient as you think you are. If you want to reflect on how this works and how God is so good in this, go back and just read Psalm 19 sometime today or this week. Psalm 19 begins with explaining and declaring how great creation reveals God and His majesty and His holiness. And then how the law reveals His goodness and His power. Then the response to how God has made Himself so well known. Show me my hidden sins. Help me see that sin I don't see so well. Help me see the parts of my life that aren't aligned with your glory, your goodness, your righteousness. Jesus is giving the man what he asked for. What must you do? And he's helped him see how far away he is. Because really we've got another commandment alluded to here, I believe, the first commandment.

You shall have no other gods before me.

Jesus has, with precision, helped him see you haven't done the most basic commandment.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart.

And you're not loving your neighbor. You're not willing to give to the poor. Now we need to be careful here. This is not a universal command for all believers. This command to sell everything and give to the poor. This was presented at by an author. It's a radical idea, but not a helpful idea. There's some universal implications here. But again, Jesus is helping this one man see the one thing. He's pinpointing, he's being very precise. We can consider riches, and we're gonna have to with this passage. Money is not the root of all evil, it's a root of all kinds of evil. Money itself is not sinful. Money is a gift from God, but we've seen over and over again, Luke warns us, a life spent searching for riches, a life spent just accumulating wealth is, there's woe for those who just live for the wealth of this world. It's not a universal rule that you sell everything, but there is a universal rule that you see every good gift comes from God. There's a universal rule that we do not tell God no. There's a rule that God gives us things so that we can be good stewards and use them for his glory. Here we see how dangerous the love of money can be. Jesus gives him first a directive. If you wanna know what you need to do, there's one thing. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, which means you gotta stop loving your money. Then notice the promise in verse 22. The promise.

One thing you still lack, sell all that you have and distribute to the poor. And you will have treasure in heaven.

The man asked for, what does it mean to have eternal life? Well, if you want eternal life, you actually get treasure in heaven. Those two things are synonymous. He just flipped it on him. Give everything up that makes you think you're rich. Give everything up that you value most and you will receive that which is most valuable. Reward. Jesus then invites them. Notice this invitation, the end of verse 22.

Come, follow me.

This is the universal word of Jesus Christ. To all, come, follow me. The God who has all, the God who is generous and gives generously. He's telling them, give up everything you think you've accumulated. Give up everything you think you have trust in. And follow me. This is the greatest invitation. And it's costly. We need to realize, come and follow me is costly. Grace is not cheap. We cannot believe in cheap discipleship. The invitation is costly. If you're not a Christian this morning, this invitation is universal. Jesus says to all, come and follow me. It's not universal you have to sell everything to come to Jesus, but it is universal that you have to repent. We have to turn from sin and turn to Christ. We have to see that sin is dangerous, deadly, destructive. And the good news of Jesus Christ is he saves us from sin. Jesus only invites us to come out of sin and into himself. No one comes to Jesus without repenting, and everyone who is invited comes to Jesus. Repentance is required. This is always one of my favorite parts in evangelism, when you can see somebody starting to get the gospel, they can feel a weight of sin, they can understand the cross and Christ's death and his resurrection. And without fail, the God who is good, just like Jesus, the great physician, is so good to pinpoint to this man what his one sin is at this moment to repent of. Without fail, when somebody's coming to Christ, God pinpoints that one sin, not your only sin. Praise God, he does not reveal all of our sin at that moment, right? But there's no way you can come to Jesus without him highlighting a specific sin. For me, it was the love of parting, it was debauchery. For another, it might be the fear of the future, a need to have control. For others, it might be that I need respect, a desire for prestige. For others, it might be theft, lying, lust. For one fellow a few years ago, when we were walking through this, we were in this moment of the conversation, he said, is there a bit of sin, is there something that you just know that this is what you need to repent of? And he said,

yeah, I really know, I don't like the idea that I can't go to gamble in Atlantic City.

I thought I knew the fellow pretty well, and I thought, how often do you go to Atlantic City? Never been. Okay. How often do you gamble? I don't. Okay, so you understand you're a sinner, yes. You understand Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sin, yes. You understand he rose again, yes. But you're worried about coming to him because you want me to do the thing you've never done before. Yeah. One, it was such an encouraging conversation. He was baptized a few months later. But one, he got what it meant to come and follow. It's costly. And right there, we actually see how deceptive and dangerous sin is. How silly we can be to want to hold on. It wasn't even something he was practicing. It wasn't even something he was wrapped up in. It was just the idea he understood. He lost the authority over his life. He knew there were things that when he said, I believe in Jesus, and to follow him, things were then going to be out of bounds. Jesus comes to separate us from sin. A question for us this morning. What keeps you from coming to him? What keeps you from coming to Jesus? Our second point, the invitation is to come and follow Jesus. Then we see the difficulty with following Jesus. Second point, the difficulty with following Jesus. We first see this in the ruler.

When the ruler heard these things, he became very sad because he was extremely rich. Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, how difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God, for it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.

All right, for this dude, his problem was wealth. When he heard Jesus' instruction, the one thing, there must have been some clear reality. He knew that it was right. But yet, he left sad. Notice there, he heard it. He didn't argue with it. He just became sad. It's interesting. Now, Jesus is making it very clear. He wants to emphasize for us. It's difficult for those who have wealth into the kingdom of God. It's not a universal rule that everyone must sell everything they have, but he is saying it's universally true. Here, Jesus, there's a difficulty for those who have wealth. This man is rich, he becomes sad, and contrast this with Zacchaeus in just the next chapter, who is joyfully giving away all that he has. Or Luke 21, the widow who gives all that she has. God loves, but you're a forgiver. the real question here. Do we recognize money is a good thing from God to use to serve Him? Or have we believed the lie that we're supposed to be serving money? He sat in because he has come to realize he values his money more than he values God. What a wonderful definition of sin. Valuing anything more than you value God. realizing that if God were to say, give that up for my sake, you would not be willing to give it up. Value and prioritizing anything over God. As we think about all the different things we value more than God, we realize how dangerous our hearts are. They truly are idol factories. He takes this verse and makes it clear how difficult it is for those who have wealth Why? Well, for the rich, maybe they have pride in all they've accomplished with their gathering of riches. Maybe it's the plans they've made with all the wealth. Maybe it's the security they believe in. It could be many things. They face value. It's just obvious. Jesus says it is difficult. He's being honest and clear with his disciples. It's costly. Well, you ask, all right, well, how difficult? Well, this is where it gets kind of interesting. Jesus tells us how difficult, verse 25.

For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.

Oh boy. Now, we need to clarify something. Somebody at some point thought, well, it would be really clever if there was a gate called the eye of the needle and maybe it was really difficult for camels to go through. No such thing. That's somebody trying to finagle and massage this passage should not make it as clear as it really is. No, Jesus has chosen the largest beast they would have been familiar with, a camel. And then the smallest opening, the eye of the needle. I don't, oh no, I lost my prop. I had a needle. Be careful up here. That's what you get for trying to use props. The eye of the needle. The largest beast through the smallest hole. Why would he make this point? It's that difficult. It's the largest beast he could speak of that they were familiar with and the smallest opening. That's how difficult it is for a rich person to enter the kingdom. Here we see the kingdom of God. It's synonymous with eternal life, and it's synonymous with heaven's treasures. These all seem to be pointed to the same thing, and when we ask, what must I do to inherit them? Well, it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of the needle than for you to do something to gain them. That makes it impossible. Notice here, verse 26. crowd recognizes what Jesus said.

Those who heard it said that who can be saved?

Who can be saved? These folks probably would have looked at the rich ruler and realized or thought wealth is equivalent to God's blessing. This man who's a religious ruler, this man who is important, powerful, he has wealth. If he can't be saved, who could be? It's difficult because Jesus is making it clear for him he must repent. He must turn his ways. The invitation has come to him. This is the beauty of it. You get to come to the God who died for you. You get to come to the God who took the wrath that we deserve. We come out of our darkness and into his light. We come out of our death and into his life. We come out of our lies and into his holy ways and his truth. It is impossible for us to save ourselves. There's nothing we can do. Here, the universal declaration is for all of us. We cannot do anything to save ourselves. There's no washing up enough. There's no good deeds we can do to outweigh the bad ones. No, sin is not some accidental occasion. No, sin is infused in our every thought, deed, desire. It corrupts us in every way. We are not able. And how much more difficult is it for those who are rich? But notice what Jesus says in response, our third point, how following Jesus is possible. How following Jesus is possible. Jesus answers him.

But he said, what is impossible with man is possible with God.

If you're looking for a memory verse today, that's it. What is possible? What is impossible? Man, it's impossible for God. The answer, you've asked, what must I do? Well, it's impossible for you to do what you want, to gain anything. It's helpful here, Jesus doesn't give him a pep talk. It's really helpful for what Jesus doesn't say. He doesn't say, well, if you just try hard enough. You know, you can make it through the eye of the needle if you just have the eye of the tiger. He doesn't try to give him some pep talk, just work harder, give more effort. No, because Jesus is the truth teller, he's not a liar. Man cannot do this. Man cannot do what is required, rich or poor. But it's possible for God. It's possible for the God who speaks things into existence. It's possible for the God who created the camel, who created us in his image. It's possible for the God, He can do what we cannot do. The hard truth for many of us here, and let's just be very clear, if you're wondering if you're rich, if you drove here in your own automobile, if you're gonna go home somewhere to air conditioning, if you're not regularly worrying about where your next meal's going to come from, you're rich. This is for you. It's for us. I look out and there's incredibly competent, successful people, and this is what is difficult. You have one important thing that you're not able to do. There's an important inability. You cannot wash away your sin. This is what God does, and only God does. He can save us, He can give us eternal life, He can give us His own kingdom because He's the King. There's another place God has given us that God can do the impossible in Luke. This is back in Luke 1. Probably a 15-year-old girl is told by an angel, you're going to give birth to God's Son without knowing a man. Mary asked the right question, how? How? And at the end, the angel declares,

for nothing is impossible with God.

That's Luke 137. A virgin gives birth to a boy. That's impossible with man, but possible with God. A creature gives birth to her creator. That's impossible with man, but possible with God. A sinner comes to the presence of the holy, perfect, and righteous God. That is impossible for man, but it is possible with God. As sure as Jesus was born of a virgin. As sure as Jesus died on the cross for our sins. As sure as He rose again, He is able to save you from your sin. Your sin is not too impossible for God, it's just too impossible for you. Your sin is not too impossible for God. It's just impossible for you. This is why you believe in Jesus. It's not what you must do in terms of your behavior and your obedience. It's who you believe in. You trust him when he says repent. You trust him when he says whatever he commands you to do. You trust him when he says follow me. We don't know what else he's going to do. We can look down there in 31 and 34. He's going to go and he's going to be mocked. He's going to be shamefully treated. He's going to be spat upon. He's going to be flawed. He's going to be killed. And the third day, he will rise again. And now we know he is risen. And he is at the right hand of the Father. He has done all that we need for salvation. Our last point, the promised reward for following Jesus. the promised reward, verse 28.

And Peter said, see, we have left our homes and followed you.

It's been a while since we had a Peter moment. But what an opportunity Peter must take here. We focused in on the tax collector. He somewhat falled away. He became sad, shrunk back, and then Jesus speaks to the whole crowd, and now Peter's gonna speak up, The voice of the disciples, usually speaking on their behalf. Notice C, look Jesus. Look at all the things we've given up. Look at all the things we've done so that we can follow you. Oh, Peter. He's insisting on the things he's done. Did he not just hear that it's not what you do, it's not a matter of how much you can do. Here he's started making a checklist. Christian, earlier while we were talking about how difficult it is for a rich person to be saved, did you start thinking, oh, but I've done all these things? Did you start creating a little spreadsheet in your heart? Here's all the things I think I've done. Well, Peter's representing us right here. It's amazing to see how many Christians will come to Jesus professing, I believe in Jesus and I'm saved by grace, and then immediately go to, I can obey, and it's amazing how easily I do that. Peter wants to make a point about what he's done. It's good what he's done. He had to give up all those things to follow Jesus. It's necessary to repent. Jesus declares, you must deny yourself, take up your cross and follow him. That is what a disciple must do. But he seems to be trying to boast of what he's done. And notice how Jesus responds. How kind it is.

Truly, I say to you, there's no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God who will not receive many times more in this time and the age to come to eternal life.

He doesn't rebuke him. What a kind God. He's not frustrated. He actually sets forth the promise. You'll not out give me, Peter. There's nothing you're going to give that you're not going to receive more. Notice what he's saying. Whatever you think you've given for the sake of the kingdom, he will receive many times more. This is where we go back and ask, what's going to keep you from Jesus? Is there some fear of missing out on something? Jesus will always give you more. There's a reality that if you've not left anything, you've not actually come to Jesus and followed Him. There's also the reality, whatever we think we've given up, He's going to always give us more. We're not going to out give God. I believe the real fear of what Peter's doing here is he's expecting Jesus to somehow say, thank you. As if Peter can say, you're welcome for what he's done. No, we are always in the place to thank God. And let's be very clear. Verse 30, who will receive many times more when? When? In this time. And in the age to come. This is a promise right now for us. In this time. This is not some kind of weird financial bizarro investment deal. All right, Jesus is not saying, all right, you sell your 2,000 square foot house, give the money to the poor or the church, and then all of a sudden you're getting a 4,000 square foot house. That's not what he's saying. The goal of discipleship isn't that you become more attached to bigger earthly things. To get more wealth, that's dangerous. No, it's, here's the promise of God, the purpose of God, the plan of God. He blesses us generously. God gives us himself. He gives us himself. He's not promising somehow there's not gonna be any more suffering in your life. No, actually there's going to be. No, what he's promising is that you will not out give Jesus. This morning as we conclude what keeps you from Jesus. If you're not a believer, what is it you're still wanting to hold on to? What is it that you think is so important about the sin that God has pinpointed in your heart? What is it that's so comforting or powerful or helpful about that sin that keeps you from coming to one who forgives you, who shows you the great love of God? If you're a believer, are you following Jesus in a way that you're still asking, show me my hidden sin? Is there sin that's distracted? Is there sin that's become wrapped up and you're just afraid of missing out? What are you more afraid of? Missing out on one more day with Jesus? Or one more day with sin? This morning, the invitation. Come to Jesus, repent of your sin, and follow him. Will you pray with me? Father, we thank you, Lord, for your kindness. We thank you, Lord, for the way you have shown us your goodness, your righteousness. You've been good to us to help us see our sin. There's nothing we can do to make ourselves righteous before you. Nothing can come before you by faith. See, God, have mercy on me, a sinner. We pray that we would see your great invitation. We would see the power of your grace to save us. We would see Christ in all that he's done and grow more and more confident and dependent in your power to save, in your power to change us, in your promise to continue to bless and give and give to us. Help us, Lord, to hold loosely to these things that we so easily make idols. Help us, Lord, to be your faithful disciples. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. Please now stand and sing our song of response. Jesus, I, my Christ, cross the paper.