One or the other

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE

ONE OR THE OTHER

Luke 18:18-25

18 A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 19 "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good — except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'"  21 "All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said. 22 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."  23 When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. 24 Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25 Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." 

NIV

There is some debate among the learned scholars about the original text concerning this passage. Some would argue that because Jesus said that no one is good except God alone that it proves Jesus is not divine because he was then saying he was not good either. Some would argue the text should read the ruler said “what good thing must I do to inherit eternal life?” rather than calling Jesus “Good teacher”. Both these learned thoughts leave the point of the passage in the wake of intelligent debate. Here we have a Jew who recognized his need for more than obedience to the Law. He came to Jesus asking, seeking the truth of life itself. How can I inherit eternal life? He knew to ask Jesus, and that is one of the keys here. He was abiding by the law as best he could, Jesus reminded him of his obedience to the commands of God. Jesus also reminded him that no matter how many commands he could obey, no man in the flesh can be good enough to inherit eternal life. This idea that Jesus wasn’t good is just erroneous thinking, as he was the perfect Lamb of God, the sacrifice for all mankind, he was the Son of God, as declared by God himself at his baptism with the confirmation of the Spirit. But the point Jesus was making is we can never be good enough to gain eternal life, no matter how many commands we keep, no matter how many rules and regulations we abide by, no matter how good a Christian we think we are. This person said that he did abide by them. He thought he was doing all the right things, being a “Good Jew” but he had too much attachment to the world as well. He wanted to follow Jesus, but he wanted to follow him and keep following the ways of the world as well. This fits with the teaching of Jesus about not being able to serve two masters. Sure once we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, he might allow us to gain some material goods, provided we seek first his kingdom, that is put the kingdom our first priority, then the goods of the world, wealth in some sense may be a part of our lives, but it should not be the main trust of our lives. This person could not part with any of his wealth in order to gain eternal life. He was too invested in the world to be invested in the kingdom of God. Jesus was not teaching that we cannot have wealth, or things as believers, or that people who are seeking Jesus must give all their wealth away first, for that would not agree with the fact people are saved by faith and not by works, which giving all their wealth away in order to inherit eternal life would be works. Jesus, knowing this man’s heart, as he knows all our hearts, was telling him he could not serve two masters. He could not serve Jesus, serve God as long as he was serving the ways of the world or perhaps himself in this case, with his wealth. This man was sad, because he was too invested in his own life and wealth to consider the pearl of great prize anymore, eternal life. Although we have already committed to serve Jesus we have to also ensure we are not entrapped by the lure of the world, the lure of wealth or riches, the abundance of money. This is not really about things, but the desire for money, being rich as Jesus tells us here about being so difficult for a person who desires being rich to desire the kingdom of God. It is more difficult for them then for a camel to pass through the eye of the needle, which was the small opening just the size for a man to enter through the gate called “Eye”. When the large city gates were closed at night against attacks there was still this small gate a person could pass through, but no animals could get through it. Jesus was simply telling us we cannot have both, him and the world. It is one or the other.