Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign
[00:00:04] Speaker B: welcome to Hope for Today, a weekly Bible teaching program that will bring you hope for every day.
Thanks so much for joining us as we study God's Word together. In this book, we have the best answers to all the biggest questions, and people are the only ones who ask those big questions. We don't see animals asking, where did it come from? Why am I here?
Or where am I going?
Humans ask these questions and our answers are very important.
In today's lesson, a young man asks Jesus, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?
This is what humans long for. We want life and we want to live longer.
Our lesson title is Seeking Eternal Life and the story of the rich young ruler is found in Mark 10. Follow along as J. Mark reads these verses and explains how we can have eternal life.
[00:01:11] Speaker A: A news reporter once asked a wealthy man, what do you think about death and do you ever worry about dying?
The man responded, no, I'm fatalistic. I protect myself as well as anyone can and I prepare for things.
You know, many people are like that wealthy man, except they don't have his money.
He's lost and he doesn't know it. He's lost in sin and he doesn't realize it because his money gives him the power to have things the way he wants them.
In Mark chapter 10, a man came to Jesus with a question.
This man is described as wealthy, but something was missing and he knew it.
As we examine this portion of Scripture, we'll discover that this man was actually seeking eternal life. So listen carefully as I read Mark 10:17 31 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?
So Jesus said to him, why do you call me good? No one is good but one that is God.
You know the commandments. Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not defraud.
Honor your father and your mother.
And he answered and said to him, teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.
Then Jesus looking at him, loved him, and said to him, one thing you lack, go your way. Sell whatever you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven and come, take up the cross and follow me.
But he was sad at this word and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, how hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God.
And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answered again and Said to them, children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God. 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.
And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, who then can be saved?
But Jesus looked at them and said, with men it is impossible, but not with God, for with God all things are possible.
Then Peter began to say to him, see, we have left everything and followed you.
So Jesus answered and said, assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my sake and the Gospel's, who shall 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.
But many who are first will be last and the last first.
In this text, Jesus interaction with this man reveals several critical directions that you and I must look in order to find eternal life.
The first direction is the upward look.
Matthew tells us this was a young man.
Luke adds that he was a ruler. And Mark tells us he ran to Jesus and knelt before him.
Each of the Synoptic Gospels tells us he was wealthy, and he came to Jesus to ask how he could gain eternal life.
You know, that was the most important question he could ask, or anyone could ask.
What must you do when you're kneeling in front of someone in order to speak to them?
You must look up, right?
We will never gain everlasting life unless we're willing to look above ourselves, look up to the face of Jesus.
But, you know, the upward look is more than just lifting our eyes. Our understanding also needs to be lifted.
This man addressed Jesus as good teacher.
And then Jesus asked him, why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.
Indirectly, he's asking the young man, do you understand who I am?
If you call me good and God alone is good, are you recognizing that I am God in the flesh?
Although this young man addressed Jesus with respect, his focus is on himself. Did you see that?
He said, by doing what shall I inherit eternal life?
And, you know, it's sad, but there are many people today who think they can earn God's approval by what they do or don't do.
Just like this man, they must look up and face the claims of Jesus deity.
Jesus turns the, uh, young ruler's gaze in another direction to facilitate that upward look.
And that next direction is the inward look.
So Jesus asked him about The Commandments.
If one can obtain eternal life by doing something, that something must be obeying the commandments.
And so Jesus led the young man to the commandments that deal with our human relationships.
With little or no hesitation, he said to Jesus, master, I've kept all these from my youth, and yet, uh, what do I still lack?
Then Jesus looked at him and loved him and answered the crucial question, what do I yet lack?
Jesus told him, sell all you have, distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, and then come and follow me.
The young man was shocked, and he turned away with great sorrow. Because he was wealthy.
He put more value on his wealth than on eternal life.
His wealth was his identity, and he was unwilling to exchange it for identifying as a Christ follower.
You know, every follower of Jesus must come to a crisis point similar to this.
It may not be your wealth, Jesus asks for.
Maybe it will be your reputation or your relationship with someone else, your education, a career, or maybe a dream that you have for the future.
Jesus wants us to look inward and see if there's anything we value more highly than him. And if we find it, he will ask for it.
Acknowledging the difficulty of those choices leads us to the next direction we must look.
And that direction is the outward look.
As the young ruler turned away, Jesus said, with what difficulty do those who have riches enter the kingdom of God?
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.
And now it was the disciples turn to be shocked, because to them, wealth was a symbol of God's blessing.
But if what Jesus said was true, then who could be saved?
The illustration of a camel passing through the eye of a needle conveys a dramatic sense of impossibility.
But Jesus went on to remind them that what was impossible by man's achievement was possible by God's divine grace.
Why is it so difficult, nearly impossible, for the wealthy to enter the kingdom?
Well, I would say that riches are a notable hindrance for two reasons.
First, they reinforce the false concept of self sufficiency, and they promote a spirit of independence.
In contrast, Jesus said that those who enter the kingdom must be poor in spirit. That is, they must have an accurate view of their own spiritual bankruptcy.
They must understand they have nothing without God and his mercy.
And then second, Jesus taught humility as a vital characteristic of those who will enter the kingdom.
A spirit of humility is the opposite of the spirit of independence.
Salvation only comes to those who take the outward look away from themselves and so as the 12 listened to Jesus, Peter asked a question.
And Jesus used that question as an opportunity to introduce the final direction we must look as we seek eternal life.
That final direction is the onward look.
Peter said, see, we have left everything to follow you. And Luke's record adds, what then will we have you? See, Peter was looking ahead to the promised reward. He was taking that onward look. He and the others had already left everything behind to follow Jesus.
And Jesus offered them comforting, reassuring words. He said assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters, or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my sake in the Gospels who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters, mothers and children and lands with persecutions and in the age to come, eternal life.
But many who are first will be last and the last first.
So here is the answer to the young man's eternal life. It strikes me that this entire account is bracketed by the importance of this matter eternal life.
Now again, we are not going to conclude that leaving family and possessions, etc. Will by itself gain God's favor for us, because no one ever entered the kingdom of God on the merits of his own self denial.
Instead, our willingness to accept Jesus as Savior and Lord motivates us to dedicate ourselves to Him.
We understand that this life is not all there is to our human existence.
Mark's record of this conversation says that these blessings will be accompanied by persecution.
But to those who take the onward look, to those who see the goal of eternal life, persecution is not enough to turn them from the path.
If you and I are looking for eternal life, we can only find it by following the directions m Jesus outlined in this account.
First, we must look upward to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, because in him alone is salvation by grace through faith.
And then there is also the inward look.
Am I willing to examine my heart and motivations?
Am I willing to evaluate my life in light of Jesus call to me?
Am I willing to lay everything on the altar to be his disciple?
Are you willing to consider these questions too?
And have I taken the outward look, acknowledging the impossibility of saving myself or anyone else?
And, and finally, do I have the onward look? Am I willing to give up, uh, the temporary pleasures of sin and suffer affliction with the people of God?
Do I consider bearing reproach for the sake of Christ of greater value than my worldly possessions?
Do you?
As you reflect on these questions I ask, have you found eternal life or are you still looking for it?
If you have eternal life, praise God. If you don't, you will only find it in Jesus Christ.
[00:13:04] Speaker B: Thanks J. Mark for summarizing the lesson in this for directions we look to find eternal life, the rich young ruler looked inward and he was not willing to value Jesus more than his money. How sad.
Yet many times we value other things more than Jesus.
We must constantly be on guard and make sure we love Jesus most.
Almost every person says they want eternal life and this is good. But are you and I willing to go all in with Jesus to find that eternal life?
If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to us. Our email address is hopeheraldsofhopeuh.org or you can contact us via the website.
Go to heraldsofhope.org and there you will find Contact us under the Partner tab on the top right. Click that to message us directly. Thanks again for listening to Hope for Today. The thought of living forever has always fascinated humans. We are always exploring ways to live longer and stay healthier. Thankfully, Jesus told us the secret in John 10:10 I have come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly.
What we are looking for is found in Him.
