Mark 10:17-31
17 And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?
18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.
19 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.
20 And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.
21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.
22 And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.
23 And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
24 And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!
25 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.
26 And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved?
27 And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.
28 Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee.
29 And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's,
30 But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.
31 But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.
Charles Bing - Grace, Salvation, and Discipleship - The Rich Young Ruler, Matthew 19:16-22 (cf. Mark 10:17-27, Luke 18:18-23)
(Salvation) Interpretation: If a person is unwilling to forsake everything and follow Jesus, he cannot be saved.
Second (Salvation) Interpretation: If a person is unwilling to forsake everything and follow Jesus, he should know that this disqualification for discipleship also proves he fails to meet the perfect righteousness needed for salvation, and therefore needs a Savior.
This story is frequently used to teach that salvation comes only to those who are willing to commit everything to God. At first glance, it may seem that way. However, if we accept that interpretation, some pertinent questions arise.
First and foremost, if Jesus is telling this rich man how to be saved, why is there no discussion of Jesus as the Messiah, His saving work, or believing in Him as Savior? Second, if Jesus is giving the man the way of salvation, then isn't He insisting that he not only keep the law perfectly, but fulfill all its implications, such as give all he owns to the poor? Third, in this interpretation, isn't Jesus' reference to eternal salvation as "treasure in heaven" unusual and even unique as a reference to salvation? Fourth, if Jesus is teaching that salvation is difficult, doesn't He immediately contradict Himself in the subsequent discussion with the disciples when He says salvation is "impossible" apart from God's intervention? Fifth, wouldn't this interpretation directly contradict the Bible's clear teaching that salvation is not by keeping the Law or by doing works (Rom. 3:20-4:5; Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5)?
In no other personal encounter does Jesus tell anyone that he or she must sell everything and give all to the poor to be saved. He does mention that a disciple must be willing to forsake everything, even his own life (Luke 14:26, 33), but as we have already seen, this is a condition for discipleship, not salvation.
Context comes to the rescue. In all three synoptic accounts, this story is preceded by the story of the little children brought to Jesus, and His teaching that "of such is the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 19:14; cf. Matt. 18:1-5), or more helpfully in Mark and Luke's account, "whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it" (Mark 10:15; Luke 18:17). Jesus is teaching that one can only receive the kingdom of God (not earn it) like a child - through simple faith born of humility.
The rich ruler doesn't appear to be arrogant, but sincere - yet sincerely deceived. He naively thought he had kept all the Law. He had both a subtle pride and a false interpretation of the Law. Jesus' interpretation of the Law evaluated not only one's conduct, but also one's inner thoughts and motives (see Matt. 5:21-22; 27-28). Now He tests the ruler's motives by applying the command which is not mentioned, but probably behind so many of the other commands: "You shall not covet." Though the man thinks he has also kept this command, his refusal to sell all and give it to the poor shows that he still covets, "for he had great possessions." It is likely that this man had adopted the contemporary Jewish notion that the rich were especially favored or blessed by God.
His deception is three-fold: First, he is trusting in his self-righteousness ("All these things I have kept from my youth"); second, he is most likely trusting in his riches as proof of God's acceptance; and third, he has a highly deficient view of God's righteousness. When he addresses Jesus as "Good Teacher," Jesus responds with a question to expose the man's concept of God's goodness. By responding "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God," Jesus sets the divine standard of acceptance as perfect goodness. In this challenge, Jesus could also be saying, "If you call Me good, then are you calling Me God?" But He is also telling the ruler that he is not good. In any case, Jesus challenges the man with his Law-keeping performance, which He then shows him is less than perfect.
The way that Jesus finally gets the man to realize his deficiency is by challenging him with a condition of discipleship and the reward of treasure in heaven. Jesus does not argue that the man has not kept the law, but for the sake of His illustration, assumes it as if He was saying, "Okay, if you have kept the law perfectly, then become My disciple by giving everything you own to the poor" (Mark adds the explicit language of discipleship, "and come take up the cross, and follow Me," Mark 10:21; see also Luke 18:22). This the man would not do, showing he was less than perfect. If he could not keep all the implications of the Law that led to following Jesus as a disciple, then perhaps he was not good enough for heaven after all, much less its rewards (In Mark and Luke's account, the man asked about how to "inherit eternal life" showing that he had in mind not only entrance into heaven, but possession of its rewards; Mark 10:17; Luke 18:18). When the man finally realizes this, he goes away sad, not only because he had great possessions (that's nothing to be sad about!), but because his self-righteousness was exposed as insufficient for entrance into heaven.
Jesus had confronted all three of the man's self-deceptions, and all were found deficient.
We might say that Jesus' dialog with the rich man is pre-evangelistic. In other words, since the man thought he was good enough for heaven, he was closed to his need for righteousness outside of himself. He was not open to the gospel truth that the righteousness of Jesus Christ alone provides entrance into heaven, and that this could not be merited by one's conduct, but only accepted through faith. Jesus jumped to a discussion of discipleship (selling possessions and giving to the poor) that would make the man reconsider his self-righteousness. It worked. Jesus teaches (Salvation) by first appealing to (Discipleship), because the young ruler asked a (Discipleship) question.
The story, when properly understood, underscores the (Salvific truth) that there is nothing we can do to earn eternal life. It also shows us that our self-righteousness is deceptively inflated, especially when compared to God's perfect standard of righteousness. The Bible says, "There is none who is good, no not one" (Rom. 3:12). Jesus says, "No one is good but One, that is, God." To enter heaven, we have to be as good as God. Since we can never be as good as God, Jesus was good for us - He fulfilled God's righteous requirements. We can now enter heaven on His merits instead of ours, if we believe in Him as our Savior.
That is the answer to the disciples' question that follows the encounter with the ruler, "Who then can be saved?" It is simply this: no one can, apart from God's righteousness provided in Jesus Christ, or in Jesus' words, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (Matt. 19:26; Mark 10:27; Luke 18:27).
Peter's implied question that follows probes Jesus' challenge to forsake all and follow Him (Matt. 19:27; Mark 10:28; Luke 18:28). It is basically this: "If entering the kingdom is only possible through God's work (implying by God's grace) and not by our work of forsaking all to follow Jesus, then what is our 'treasure in heaven' which You indicated to the young ruler was the reward for following You as a disciple?" (Matt. 19:21; Mark 10:21; Luke 18:22). Jesus answers Peter's (Discipleship) question with (Discipleship): Those who forsake this world to follow Him will enjoy God's eternal life now and in the future. They will have "eternal life" as an abundant life in the present and a future possession to enjoy (as in Mark 10:30 and Luke 18:30). Matthew's wording, "inherit eternal life," emphasizes the disciples' future rewards in the kingdom that include possession of eternal life and ruling with Jesus (Matt. 19:28-30).
The story of the rich young ruler shows us that we cannot be true disciples of Jesus Christ until we acknowledge we are sinners who fall far short of God's perfect goodness and come to Jesus for that righteousness. We must experience (Salvation) before we can experience (Discipleship). Then, and only then, can we make the sacrifices of a disciple that earn us rewards in this life and the next. It is a great encouragement to know that our sacrifices and the forsaking of our own desires will bring God's abundant rewards. As for Peter, so also for us - indeed, it will be worth it!
Thomas Constable's Expository Notes on the Bible - Mark 10:24
10:24 This verse is unique to Mark. The disciples' amazement arose from the popular belief that riches were a result of God's blessing for righteous behavior (cf. Abraham, David, and Job, who were all righteous and wealthy). They thought that riches were an advantage, not a potential hindrance to one's relationship with God. Only here in the Gospels did Jesus address the disciples as "children" (Gr. tekna). Their amazement at Jesus' words revealed their spiritual immaturity.
The longer textual reading toward the end of verse 24 ("how hard it is for them that trust in riches to enter") gives the sense of Jesus' statement, but it was probably not a part of Mark's Gospel originally. The shorter statement is perfectly true as it stands, and it accounts partially for the disciples' second amazement (v. 26). Jesus' statement in verse 25 also helps us understand their added surprise.