Jesus and the Rich Young Ruler – Mark 10:17-31
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In the Gospel of Mark, most people come to Jesus with a desperate need and have their need met. In this passage, the rich young man is keen to come to Jesus but leaves disappointed. On the surface, the young man has everything. He has religion, wealth and success. Jesus in Mark 10:18 challenges the young man for calling him “Good.” Jesus goes on to uncover where the young man is lacking – Mark 10:21.
Why was the young man disappointed? He valued his wealth and his status – his self-importance and self-righteousness. These were the young man’s idols. It was his idolatry that prevented him from acknowledging that Jesus is God (see Philippians 3:6).
Anything can become an idol or a counterfeit god. An idol is anything that becomes more important to you than God. Idols absorb your time, your heart, your energy and your imagination far more than God. Idols can control every aspect of your life.
For the young man in the passage, money was his idol. Money gave him his identity and his security. The things we idolise in their own right are not bad or evil. They become so when we they fulfil a deep need in us that should only be met by God – Luke 16:13.
We are all created to worship. In some cultures it is easy to see the idols that people worship. In the UK, it is subtler. The best way to see who and what people idolise is to look at magazine covers.
We need to get rid of idols and replace them with Jesus Christ. We need to understand more about the upside down worldview of Jesus Christ. Here are three differences about following Jesus:
- What man values is different to what Jesus values – Mark 10:23. In Mark 10:25, we see the reality of the young man’s situation – it was not possible for him to come to Jesus because money was his idol. We often put our focus on the wrong thing.
- What man cannot do Jesus can – Mark 10:26-27. There is hope because all things are possible for God. Mark 10:27 is a wonderful example of God’s grace.
- What man views as sacrifice or hardship Jesus will reward. Mark 10:29-30. The benefits of following Jesus far outweigh the costs. Jesus brings a balanced view of things. We may suffer now but we also see benefits through the Church and also in the eternal life to come.
What are our idols? We need to replace them through worshipping Jesus alone.
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Mark 10:17-31
The Rich Young Man
17 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” 20 And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” 21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
23 And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is [1] to enter the kingdom of God! 25 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.” 26 And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, [2] “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” 28 Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” 29 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” (ESV)
Latest sermons from this series
- The Resurrection of Jesus – Mark 15:40-16:8 (6 Dec 10)
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- Jesus and Pilate – Mark 15:1-15 (24 Nov 10)
- The Trial of Jesus and Peter’s Denial – Mark 14:53-72 (18 Nov 10)
- Gethsemane – Mark 14:32-52 (15 Nov 10)
- The Lord’s Supper – Mark 14:12-25 (2 Nov 10)
- The Immediate Fulfilment and the Yet to Come – Mark 13 (20 Oct 10)
- A Warning and An Example – Mark 12:38-44 (11 Oct 10)
- The Great Commandment – Mark 12:28-37 (28 Sep 10)
- Difficult Questions – Mark 12:13-17 and Mark 12:18-27 (20 Sep 10)
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