Luke 18:15-43
In this chapter we have brought before us two most interesting characters, the one contrasted with the other-a very rich man and a very poor man. As a prelude to the consideration of these two, we find the Spirit of God bringing before us the lesson from the infants who were brought to Jesus.
The mothers brought their little ones to Jesus that He might touch them. If you are a parent, you can readily understand that statement. It is according to the nature of a mother to wish the very best for her small bundle of life. Here was One in their midst who combined in His Person all that was lovely. The mothers felt instinctively that the mere touch of His holy hands upon the head of a little one would do it good. So they brought the children to Him.
How different was the judgment of the disciples! They would stem the tide of love in the heart of both the mothers and the Lord. But our Lord would not brook their interference. He told out the love of His heart 14 hen tie said, "Suffer little children to come unto Me, and forbid theta not: for of such is the kingdom of God." He invited them to come. You and I in our self-complacence are disposed to discount the work of God in the hearts of the little ones. But may we not learn something from them? When we talk to the children about the Lord Jesus, we do not find it necessary to reason with them. They do not require a multitude of proofs as to the inspiration of the Scriptures, or of the deity of Christ. We repeat the story in simple words such as a little child can comprehend. Those little eyes look right into our eyes, and we can discern that they believe what we tell them.
The Lord invites the children to come unto Him. I wonder if perhaps we have made a mistake in overlooking them. One has very little sympathy with that disposition on the part of some who would raise objection to a special effort to take the gospel to the children. I believe it has proven a most blessed service, and God has owned it. Let us continue to bring the gospel to the little ones while their hearts are young and tender. "Forbid them not."
In connection with the incident of blessing the children, our Lord goes a step further and announces that "Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein." The little child comes in all the simplicity of unquestioning faith. How did you come? How did I come? Surely not in the sense of personal merit. Not in virtue of a breast decked with badges, ribbons, and medals. No! nor with a list of degrees after my name. How did we get into the kingdom of God? If we entered at all, it was through that lowly gate of childlike faith. "A little child shall lead them." There are no private entrances, so we must all come through that narrow gate of faith.
This is no doubt the reason why: "Not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are: that no flesh should glory in His presence." 1 Cor. 1:26-2926For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29That no flesh should glory in his presence. (1 Corinthians 1:26‑29).
But we are a generation of boasters. We are self-confident. We like to bring forth our strong reasons. We resent being placed in the infant class. So it is when you take the gospel to those who are of great station in life, that you meet with opposition immediately. You find yourself in an unfriendly atmosphere. You are conscious of what is called in the business world, "sales resistance." What a contrast we find to this when we get a group of little children together to talk about the Lord Jesus. We are immediately conscious of the simplicity with which they listen to the sweet story of God's love in sending His Son to die for them.
Let us turn now to the case before us in Luke 18-the rich young ruler. He is a rare character. He is a rich man, a cultured man, a man of position. Further, we gather that he was a fine man of estimable character. There are not many men in Scripture who are pictured in a more favorable light than this young Jew; so much so, that the Lord Jesus looking upon him, loved him. You have met such characters, perhaps a young man whose name you do not know; yet his bearing and demeanor are such as to arrest your attention. His presence bespeaks refinement and courtesy. His very speech reflects nobility of breeding. "Oh," you say, "I wish that man were a Christian." You have the consciousness that he is a stranger to the grace of God. Yes, we have met people like that. Well, here is such a one, "A certain ruler."
We all like to be rulers. None of us like to be ruled. We enjoy a position of leadership. The world is one vast arena where men struggle for the honors. Whether it is nations or individuals, organizations or cartels, there exists ever the struggle for priority, for mastery. Yes, men love to rule. So here we have a man who is a ruler.
This admirable young man comes to Jesus with a question: "Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" He came to the right Person. Yes, he came to the right One. And everyone should weigh that expression: eternal life. 0 what a term it is! This expression, eternal life, is found only twice in the Old Testament, hut in those places it does not mean what it does in the New Testament. There it is millennial life on the earth. So perhaps this young man's question did not contemplate anything beyond the Old Testament concept of everlasting life here on the earth.
This earth could be a wonderful place for those who have plenty of money, if it were not for the flies of death in the apothecary's ointment (Eccles. 10:11Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savor: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honor. (Ecclesiastes 10:1)). So-called "Death Valley Scotty" lived out there in comparative luxury for years, but the one thing that ruined his outlook was the fact of death at the end of the road. His valley was well named, "Death Valley." Another man, Mr. Randolph Hearst, built himself a palace in California. He spent a million dollars a year in entertainment. but was always embarrassed at the thought that at the end of his good time was death. He was offended if anyone mentioned that word "death" in his hearing. His close friends knew this and avoided the dreaded word. It was the end of the way that troubled him. I believe he had a fifty thousand dollar funeral; but, you know, that only took him to a hole in the ground, or perhaps a crypt in a mausoleum; money cannot carry beyond death.
In our chapter here the young man asked, "What shall I do to inherit eternal life?" He came to the right Person, but he did not couch his question intelligently. There is a measure of self-confidence in that question. What shall I DO? This is innate in the human heart. And all religions of which man boasts are built upon that concept: What shall I DO? The thought that a salvation has been purchased and is offered on the terms of doing nothing, never seems to enter the heart of men. That is the reason that the plan of salvation as we find it in Scripture did not have its origin in this earth; it came from heaven. Man knows practically nothing of grace. It is not of works. It has its origin in the great heart of God, coming to man, not with a demand, but with an offer. God comes out with both hands full. He offers to man the best He has. He says, "Come... and he that bath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price." Isa. 55:11Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. (Isaiah 55:1). Yes, the wine of the joy of salvation is offered free. Come and get it from a giving God, from a God who is anxious to bless. How few there are who accept the offer! It is the old story of the fisherman trying to give away herrings on London Bridge. "Herrings for nothing," but he could get no takers. Everybody thought they were spoiled or that something was wrong with them. Herrings at a bargain. a dozen for a penny, that would be all right; but, herrings for nothing, no! God has come out in grace and is offering man salvation.
This young man said, "Good Master, what shall I DO?" Before the Lord Jesus answers his question, He corrects another blunder in his approach. He accosted the Lord as "Good Master." Now those terms are not correlative. Good-ah, what a word that is! If we turn to the 14th Psalm we find God canvassing this world for someone that was good, but He found none, not one who was good.
The Lord corrects the young man. If you call Me good, you will have to give Me the rest of the title. There is none good but God. Now notice: The Lord does not say, Young man, you are mistaken, I am not good. No, no; He does not say anything resembling that. How different it was with Paul and Barnabas when preaching to the pagans. These latter were accustomed to believe in demi-gods—gods come down from heaven in the form of men. They rushed out into the street with the priest and the offering to do them sacrifice, saying, These men are gods come down in human form. How stirred the apostles were! They ran in among them and tore their clothes and said, Do not this foolishness. We are men with like passions as you. We are just like you poor heathen-not a bit better. Do not sacrifice to us.
But with the Lord Jesus, no such rebuke is given. All He asks is, if we call Him good, which He was in the most absolute sense, we have to recognize that He is also God. No doubt this young man did not take in what our Lord meant. So the Lord goes on to say, "Thou knowest the commandments." The young man was religious. He had not been brought up in ignorance. The Lord repeats the commandments, "Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor thy father and thy mother." He replies, "All these things have I kept from my youth up." Yes, there are men like that. Surely there are. There are many men who have lived an exemplary moral life. They have never killed, stolen, etc. The Lord does not question his integrity nor his sincerity. "All these things have I kept from my youth up." The Lord marveled at the fine character that stood before Him. Our Lord's heart was filled with longing and pity for this fine young man standing there before Him so sincerely. Jesus replied, "Yet lackest thou one thing." Is it not true that until grace has wrought in our hearts, that is where we all are-"Yet lackest thou"? There is a void in every human heart, and there is only One who can fill it. Until He comes into the heart, we can say, "Yet lackest thou." He had everything else. Some men have gone very high in this world, in wealth, in honor, in position. As an example, take a man like Ghandi of India. He had much to commend him, and there are hundreds of millions of people who regard him with a veneration near that of a god, now that he is gone. But it was true of Ghandi, "Yet lackest thou one thing."
So our Lord's test to this dear young man was, "Sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow Me."
Is it possible to make deposits in the bank of heaven? Oh, yes; and we can do it daily. We do not have to wait until the end of the year. We can make a deposit today, and if we are left here we can deposit more tomorrow. In that marvelous 16th of Luke we read this verse: "Make to yourselves friends with the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when it fails ye may be received into the eternal tabernacles" (J.N.D. Trans.). How wonderful to be let into the secret of a divine alchemy like that, so that by a mysterious metamorphosis we can take the humble things of life and transmute them into that which is the current coin of heaven. We can send on ahead a deposit in the bank over there. "Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal." Matt. 6:2020But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: (Matthew 6:20). Our Lord would not tell us to do this unless it were possible, and our account stands today as the sum total of all the little deposits that we have been sending up along the way.
Why did our Lord tell this young man to sell all that he had? He did not permit him to keep even ten per cent for himself. I do not recall that the Lord ever proposed this to anybody else. Why single out this poor man? It is because the Lord is acting here in the capacity of a skilled physician. When such is giving an examination, he finally puts his finger on a certain part; there is a wince and a groan; ah, that's it-he has located the trouble.
Our Lord is here diagnosing the case. He is going to make plain to this young man something about himself of which he was not conscious. In spite of all that lovely personality-that beautiful exterior-down beneath, there was a hidden malignancy at work. The Lord exposed it-COVETOUSNESS! Yes, there it was. With all its ugliness covered up by a beautiful veneer, there it was. That is the reason for our Lord's prescription to the young man to go and sell all that he had and give to the poor. Come, follow Me, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven.