May 14 2025

Wednesday May14

Luke 18:18-30 – Do You Really Believe Who Jesus Is?

18 Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" 19 So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. 20 You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother.' " 21 And he said, "All these things I have kept from my youth." 22 So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." 23 But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich. 24 And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For 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." 26 And those who heard it said, "Who then can be saved?" 27 But He said, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God." 28 Then Peter said, "See, we have left all and followed You." 29 So He said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30 who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life."

Luke now tells us what we call the story of the “Rich Young Ruler” in verses 18-30. This incident takes place as Jesus is traveling with His disciples to Jerusalem. What is interesting to me is that this exact story is repeated in almost the same details in the first three Gospels. We find it first in Matthew 19:16-30. Next in Mark 10:17-31 and then lastly here in Luke 18:18-30.

Mark’s Gospel begins this story by telling us: “Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"  (Mark 10:17). Notice that this man came “running”, he “knelt”, he “asked” the most important question a person could ask.

The rich young ruler may be the only man in the Gospels who came to the feet of Jesus and went away in worse condition than when he came. And yet he had so much in his favor! He was moral and religious, earnest and sincere, and probably would have qualified for membership in the average church. Yet he refused to follow Jesus Christ and instead went his own way in great sorrow.

What was wrong with him? In a word: dishonesty. In spite of the fact that came the right way, “he came running”, he knew his need was urgent. That he came with the right attitude of humility, “he knelt”. That he came to the right Person, he came to Jesus, the Teacher of teachers. And that he asked the right question, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” and he received the right answer, he still made the wrong decision.

Why? Because he was not honest with God or with himself. Therefore, he would not do what he was commanded to do. He was a superficial young man who said one thing but did another. We will consider the areas in which he was dishonest.

First would be his view of Christ (vv. 18-19). Notice that he called Jesus, “Good teacher”. I always wondered why Jesus responded by asking him, “Why do you call me good?” The rabbis in the days of Jesus were called "Teacher”, (Master), but it was most unusual for a rabbi to be called "Good." The Jews reserved the word good for God alone (Psalms 25:8; 34:8; 86:5; 106:1). This explains why our Lord asked the young man what he meant, for if he really believed that Jesus was "good," then he had to confess that Jesus was God.

By asking this question, our Lord was not denying His deity but affirming it. He was testing the young man to see if he really understood what he had just said. His subsequent behavior proved that the young ruler did not believe that Jesus Christ was God. If he really thought he was in the presence of Almighty God, why did he argue politely about the Law, brag about his character, and then refuse to obey the Word? Surely he knew that God sees the heart and knows all things!

Today, the real question that should settle all the questions about Jesus and salvation is, “Do you really believe that Jesus is indeed God in the flesh?” That is what the entire Gospel of John is about (John 20:30-31)! We might say these words in our heads and with our lips, but there if there is no change in our lives and in our hearts, we really are being dishonest with ourselves and with God.

Today, is a good day to ask what do you really believe about Jesus in your heart!

God bless!