Man’s way...impossible. God’s way…possible.

“The SHOCKING Jesus”

Mark 10:17-27

Certain events recorded in the Gospels seems to have varying degrees of importance.  None of them are unimportant because they are all in the Word of God, but some seems have carry more weight.  One way we know this is by the number of times they are recorded.

The real-life incident we are considering today is in all the synoptic gospels—Matthew (19), Mark (10), and Luke (18).  Matthew, Mark, and Luke are called “synoptic gospels” because they have a common viewpoint.

If there is a primary text coming out of this incident it is the answer given in  verse 27 to the question, “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.”

That incredible, bigger-than-any-of-your-problem statement was spoken to the disciples by Jesus after He met a handsome, rich, gifted, polite, outwardly religious young Jew (possibly a Pharisee in training).

Look at this man.  He is usually called “the rich, young ruler.”  The disciples surely saw this young man as a “prime prospect.”  It seems he certainly had more to offer Jesus than the five-time married Samaritan woman or some blind man or the lepers who had come to Christ.  This young man had “it.”  People that have “it” dress the part, eat at all the expensive restaurants, travel first-class, stay in the most exotic hotels.  And, here he is, before Jesus.

Think of all the positive things that were expressed by this rich, young ruler.  It couldn’t have been better.  He came….

1. At the right time.  Ecclesiastes 12:1  “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth…”

2. To the right Person….Jesus Christ.

3. With the right urgency… “running.”  Hurry.

4. With the right attitude… “kneeling.”  Humbly, respectful.

5. With the right question… “eternal life.”  He lacked “something” and knew it.  He wanted to make some sense of his life.  This question exposed both the young man’s ignorance and his interest.

6. With the right openness… He listened.

7. To hear the right answer...Jesus gave him the truth.

What a prospect!  “Citizen of the year..most likely to succeed...young executive award….favorite son.” 

How did Jesus handle this tender soul, this ripe prospect?  Jesus gave the young man a straight-forward “theology” course.   That’s right—a theology course.  “Theology” is “the study of God.”

(1) The Character of God—vs. 17-18.

Some have misrepresented Jesus’ words as if He were saying He was not good, thus He was not God.  Jesus was telling the young man, “It’s easy for you to call me a good man.  Are you prepared to called me the God-man?”  Jesus was the Son of God, the Messiah, God in human form.  In other words, Jesus was asking him, “Do you know who I really am?” 

(2) The Law of God—vs. 19-20.

For some, Jesus’ answer to the young man’s desire for “eternal life” is strange, even inappropriate.  Jesus pointed this young man to God’s law.  “Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not. Honour thy father and mother.” 

And the young man responds eagerly, instantly, without hesitation.  In his mind he was a clean, moral upright young man.  Outwardly, he was okay in his own estimation.  The young man was saying, “I think you’re good and I think I’m good, too.”

· “By the law is the knowledge of sin,” Romans 3:20. 

· It is only by the law, sin becomes “exceedingly sinful.”

· The law is God’s “schoolmaster” to bring us to Christ, Galatians 3:24. 

(3) The Demands of God—vs. 21

“Then Jesus beholding him loved him…”  “One thing thou lackest…”  I am sure the young man was hanging on every word and was thinking, “Finally, the answer I have been looking for.”

· “Go thy way….”  Leave.  You will need to do this yourself.  I will not be with you.

· “Sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shall have treasure in heaven.”  Jesus did not demand 10%, or 25%, or 50%, but 100%.  This is repentance….turn.  Jesus was not promising eternal life based on earthly poverty, but spiritual poverty.

· “And come, take up the cross, and follow me.”  This is faith...trust.

Jesus broke through to this young man.  “And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possession,” v. 22.  In reality, his possessions had him!  Jesus knew it and now the young man knew it.

Remember all those “right” things—right time, Person, urgency, attitude, question, openness, answer...made only one “wrong” move...he walked away from Jesus, he missed his chance for true riches.

Jesus made it clear to the young man that he could not love Almighty God and the almighty dollar.  He had to choose one or the other.  He chose to cling to the cash and to walk about from Christ.  His bank account remained intact, but so did his evil heart.

What a “let down” this was for the disciples who was looking and listening to what had gone on.  The most hopeful prospect they had ever seen was the most disappointing. 

v. 23  “How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God.”

This blew the disciples away.  “The disciples were astonished,”  v. 24.  They were knocked off their feet… kicked in the gut. The word “astonished”  means “amazed, breathless, speechless.”

This is an area where we need some help, just like the disciples.  Most of us envy rich people, if not openly, at least secretly.  We all wish we had more money...more comfort...more security...that’s it—more.

If we understand what Jesus is saying, we should feel sorry for the rich.  Instead of seeing them as living privileged lives, we should see them as living perilous lives.  Their affluence is an affliction!  Serious.

Jesus didn’t let up.  v. 24b-25   “Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!  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.”  Don’t get hung up whether this illustration was an actually tiny sewing needle or a small gate into the city called “the eye of the needle.” Either way, Jesus said it was impossible.  That’s the word Jesus wants us to hear—impossible!  And its impossible because people “trust in riches” instead of trusting in God.  One old country preacher said, “You might as well try to ride a Georgia mule to the moon as to get to heaven without Jesus.”

“And they were astonished out of measure,” v. 26a.  The disciples were probably thinking about how much a rich person could do for God’s kingdom with their money—give large donations to the temple, give regularly to the poor, build a school for the prophets, contribute to the care of neglected widows.

“Who then can be saved?”  v. 26b. This was a jarring moment for the disciples.  It rocked their world.  In their mind they must have been thinking, “If this man can’t get in, how can ordinary people like us inherit the kingdom of God?” 

v. 27. “And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.” 

There are only two ways that people think they have to get to heaven:  man’s way and God’s way.  Man’s way...impossible.  God’s way…possible.

Men cannot buy salvation with their riches….works….deeds.  “Impossible.”

It wasn’t that the rich, young ruler couldn’t have eternal life; he wouldn’t and didn’t receive eternal life as God’s gift.

With Christ’s “command and invitation” to sell all and follow Him was both the opportunity and the obligation.  Jesus sincerely urged him to do so.

“But with God, all things are possible.”  God has made a way.  What is impossible with men is possible with God.  God has made a way through Jesus Christ.

God doesn’t take our gifts, He offers His gift—salvation by grace, apart from any works.

God redeems people not with “corruptible things as silver and gold… but with the precious blood of Jesus, as of a lamb…” 1 Peter 1:19.

God delights to save and use ordinary people who will become fully surrendered to Christ and His cause.  He uses run-of-the mill folks like us rather than superstars.

Allow me to conclude with (1) an interesting speculation, (2) an undeniable statement, and (3) a singular possibility.

(1) The unstated, but interesting speculation is that there might well have been a good ending to this otherwise sad story.  Based on various clues in the gospels some think it is very possible, thought not stated, that this right young ruler was none other than Mark, the author of this Gospel. 

· We know that Mark’s mother was a wealthy woman of influence named Mary, who owned a large house in Jerusalem.

· The detail of looking (“beholding”) and loving is an intimate detail known only in a personal way.

· Mark chose to be unnamed in the garden of Gethsemane—Mark 14:51-52. “And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him: And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked.”

I offer this as nothing more than an interesting speculation.

(2) The undeniable statement is this.  God is the God of the impossible.  This is the ray of hope; the note of grace.  God does the impossible.

· The sinner who is impossible to save, God saves.

· The church that is impossible to revive, God revives.

· The family that is impossible to keep together, God keeps together.

· The job that is impossible to get, God gives.

· The health that is impossible to recovery.  God recovers.

(3 ) Let me end with the singular possibility is that a rich man comes to Christ in precisely the same way as does the homeless man on skid row. 

“Nothing in my hands I bring

Simply to the cross I cling.”

We all come to God as guilty sinners, powerless to save ourselves.  All people must bow before God morally bankrupt and in spiritual poverty.

Thank You for visiting this site. If we can be of help in any way, please do not hesitate to ask. Much Blessings on you and yours, Dr. Joseph A.Carson Northland Baptist Ministries