As Jesus began one of his journeys, a man came running to him. The man was eager--he came running. He was humble--he knelt before Jesus. He recognized Jesus as the authoritative source of spiritual information--he asked Jesus how to inherit eternal life. Since verse 22 says he was quite prosperous, it is proper to assume that he was not accustomed to running to people or kneeling before people--likely people ran to him [to impress him] and knelt before him [to honor him]. I seriously doubt that he would call just anyone, "Good Teacher." Maybe "Teacher" or "Rabbi" [which means teacher] but not, "Good Teacher."
The first thing that astounds us is this: Jesus confronted the man rather than commending the man. We would expect Jesus to make these remarks: "I appreciate your earnest faith, your respect, and your recognition of who I am." Instead, Jesus did the unexpected: "Why do you call me good? Only God is good." In the Jewish world, all humans were insignificant in comparison to God. Good was a high designation deserved by God, never by a human.
Second, Jesus' first response surprises us. Rather than saying something insightful or profound, Jesus just told him to keep the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17). "Do not murder, or commit adultery, or steal, or perjure yourself, or take something that does not belong to you, or neglect your parents." The definite implication is this: if this man kept the Ten Commandments, he would inherit eternal life.
In our words, a delighted man said, "Since boyhood I have done this!" He was a morally upright man who had long done the "right things." This is a morally upright man with a commendable attitude who properly recognized Jesus' authority. The man was sincere and honest--the writer noted Jesus loved him.
Who was better suited to be Jesus' disciple? The man impresses us, and impressed Jesus. Most of us would regard the man as excellent material for spiritual direction. The fact that he was also rich was an extra bonus for "the cause." Could not Jesus use such a man and his wealth?
Third, Jesus' final response astounds us. With all the good we see in the man, Jesus saw the significant flaw. Characteristics that impress us did not overwhelm Jesus. He gave the man a choice. "There is one thing you lack. Divest yourself of your material things and give to the poor. After doing that, come go with me."
Jesus invited him to be a follower after he turned loose of all his material possessions. The problem is not that he is inferior to the twelve men who followed Jesus. A good case could be made that this man was superior to some of them. The problem did not lie in a comparison with others who followed Jesus.
Then where did the problem lie? The problem was found in the fact that Jesus was number two. The man's property was number one. Perhaps he was willing to leave his family temporarily [see 1 Corinthians 9:3-5] as did the other men, but not his property. Perhaps he was willing to put his property in what we call a blind trust, but not sell it. Certainly he was not willing to give away the money obtained from the sales. Perhaps the man was willing to follow Jesus on his journeys. Perhaps that is what he intended before he came.
However, when he learned the cost of following Jesus, he was grieved. "Did Jesus not know who he was? Did Jesus not realize what an opportunity he presented to Jesus? Did Jesus not understand how his cause/movement could benefit from having the support of a man like him? Did Jesus not understand how serious, how committed he was?" The man was serious, or the answer would not have grieved him.
The cost was too much! A change in priorities was unreasonable! Making Jesus his number one priority was unexpected! He believed in Jesus and Jesus' cause, but not that much.
The more we have, the stronger the temptation becomes to depend on ourselves. The more we have, the stronger we are tempted to depend on things rather than on God. The more we have, the stronger evil beckons us to be impressed with ourselves rather than godliness. [Is this one of those situations where blessings are allowed to become curses?]
If the man's intent was discipleship in the sense that the twelve were disciples, we need to be aware that it took a special person to be that kind of disciple. From the moment of beginning, Jesus was number one. Levi [Matthew?] followed Jesus immediately leaving the tax office (Mark 2:14). Peter and Andrew immediately left their occupation, and James and John immediately left the family business (Matthew 4:18-22).
It was more than a matter of values. It was a matter of whole life commitment. Jesus would radically change these men and they would become his messengers to the world. For such a change to occur, Jesus unquestionably had to be number one [so entrenched in number one it was not a matter of thought and decision!]
Even though this may have been discipleship in the sense of being one of the twelve, there are some essential lessons for us.
Lesson one: even though we are flawed and Jesus knows the flaw, he loves us. Never is it a question of Jesus' [or God the Father's] love for us. The issue is always the depth of our love for him.
Lesson two: we always have the choice of following him. The decision may be difficult and costly, but the choice is ours. If we make the choice to belong to Jesus, there always will be acceptance and never rejection.
Lesson three: The challenge always is for us to become all we are capable of being. It is never a matter of comparison to others. The question is, "How do I respond to Jesus?" Never is it, "How does my response compare to their response?"
Lesson four: we need to know within ourselves that Jesus is number one. Nothing should be a close second to the value we place on our relationship with Jesus Christ.
Lesson five: the highest level of discipleship involves much more than keeping the rules. A life that keeps the rules is inferior to a life of complete commitment. Only complete commitment made Jesus' crucifixion possible!
Lesson six: at some point in our lives, we will of necessity make a choice.
For Discussion:
Link to Teacher's Guide
Lesson 3