What Must I Do?

Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?

This is certainly a question in many peoples heart. It expresses our longing for eternal things, for spiritual reality. It also expresses our dissatisfaction for material and temporal things. New things - cars, houses, toys - become old things. They no longer bring enjoyment and satisfaction. So we try to recapture the joy by acquiring more things, bigger, better, improved things. Only to find they eventually lead to the same end.

This was the case of a young man in Jesus' day - A RICH, YOUNG, RULER! Do you see it? This man was young, had money and things, and had power. He had it made. I'm sure he was his mother's pride - My son the governor. He would run with the in crowd, the jet set of Judea. Maybe he was single. Wouldn't he be the desire of the ladies - rich and young.

But his young man, even though he was rich, knew their was something lacking in his life. So he came to the teacher to find the answer. His prayer was just a few words, from his heart.

"Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good - except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and your mother.'"

"All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said.

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."  Luke 18:18-22 (NIV)

From this story, we learn that the rich young ruler was also living in obedience to the Ten Commandments. Yet, he realized a spiritual need, and came to the only person on earth that could help him. Notice that he refers to Jesus as "good teacher." Jesus seems to rebuke him, stating that only God is good. But Jesus really was establishing the veracity of his answer. Only God is good. Because he knew Jesus as the "good" teacher, the rich young ruler acknowledged Jesus as God. Therefore Jesus' answer was God's answer. 

Jesus answers by reiterating the law, the ten Commandments. God does not change. He didn't give commandments that must be obeyed one day, and then change his mind and give another method the next day. So, Jesus said, "eternal life starts by honoring God through obedience to his word."

The man responded, "All these I have kept. What do I still lack?"  Matthew 19:20 (NIV).

Jesus heard the heart cry, and gave the man the answer and instruction he needed:

Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell you possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."  Matthew 19:21

Jesus pinpointed the cause of the spiritual lack:

The man did not have money - the money had him.

Jesus invited him to join his disciples - Come, follow me. The same invitation he gave to Peter, John, and the others. But the rich young ruler could not receive the word: "When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth."

Does money prevent us from entering eternal life? Jesus said it's hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. But, it's also hard for a poor man, and it's hard for a middle class man. No man can do it. When the astonished disciples asked "Who then can be saved?" Jesus said "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

Jesus actually promised this man much more wealth. By giving to the poor for the sake of Jesus and the gospel, the man would be in a position to receive 100 times as much in the present age, and in the age to come, eternal life.

So that's the answer to the man's prayer: "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" Devote your life to Jesus and his gospel, and receive eternal life.

To follow Jesus, read this information.