Bible Study Materials

Matthew 19:16-30

by Paul Choi   10/11/2015  

Question


Jesus Teaches the Way to Eternal Life Matthew 19:16-30 Key Verse: 19:21 1. What had Jesus just taught about the kingdom of heaven? (19:14) Read verses 16-17. What does it mean that the man addressed Jesus as "teacher?" What question did he ask? Why did he ask Jesus about what is good? According to Jesus, who alone is good? 2. Why did he ask about eternal life? What reveals his lack of understanding of God and God's grace? According to Jesus, what must he do to enter life? What does it mean to "get eternal life" or to enter "life?" 3. Read verses 18-19. In response to the man's question, "Which ones?" which of the commandments did Jesus mention? Which ones did he omit? Why? What new commandment did Jesus add? How does this commandment fulfill the others? 4. Read verses 20-22. What did this young man think about himself? Do you think he had kept the commandments? Why or why not? What was his next question (20)? What was Jesus answer and invitation? Why did the man go away sadly? How does he illustrate the truth Jesus taught in 19:23? 5. Read verses 23-26. How hard is it to enter the kingdom of heaven? (24) What was the disciples' astonished response and their question? (25) How can anyone be saved? (26) 6. Read verses 27-30. What was Peter thinking when he compared himself with this rich young man? What promises did Jesus give him and us? What does verse 30 mean to the disciples and to us? How can we inherit eternal life?


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Message


Jesus Teaches The Way to Eternal Life

(Go, sell your possessions, and follow me)

Matthew 19:16-30

Key Verse: 19:21 “Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

  Last week Jesus taught us about marriage, divorce, and family. Marriage is one of the happiest and joyful occasions in human life. Marriage is created by God in the beginning. It is a total union between a male and a female. The two becomes one flesh. Because a marriage is done under God’s absolute authority, it is holy and sacred. What God has joined together, let men not separate. Divorce is a violation of marriage vow and separation between a husband and a wife. God hates divorce. Jesus warns us not to divorce except for marital unfaithfulness. This generation needs restoration of this Biblical view of marriage and value of family. Then there will be no more divorce, separation, and broken families in this world. Let us pray for restoration of Biblical view of marriage and godly value of family in this country.  Amen!

  In today’s passage a rich young man came up to Jesus and asked about the way to eternal life. Jesus teaches him the way to eternal life and invites him to become his disciple. Let’s study how this young man responded to Jesus’ teaching and invitation and what we must do to inherit eternal life and to follow Jesus.

First, what good thing must I do to get eternal life? (16-20) When Jesus finished teaching about the kingdom of heaven, a man came up to him and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life.” (16) According to Luke’s gospel this young man was a ruler. (Lk 18:18) He got a high position in his community.  He was also young and rich (19:20,22) As a young man he was successful and became a man of envy of all. This man was also humble. According to Mark’s gospel he fell on his knees before Jesus. (Mk 10:17) He was well educated and disciplined to become a man of honor.  What was his question to Jesus? “What good thing must I do to get eternal life?” This young man wanted to gain eternal life. We are not sure of his genuine motivation for eternal life. He might have desired to collect eternal life as one of his achievements. He might have suffered from daily insomnia because of the meaninglessness of life. For any reason this man came to Jesus to know the way to eternal life.

  What problems did he show in his question? He called Jesus, “Teacher.” He did not know who Jesus really is. Jesus said, “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” (Jn 17:3)  Jesus said that to know who he really is is eternal life. But this rich young man did not know who Jesus really is. He thought that Jesus was one of teachers, Rabbi, not the Lord.  Another problem of this young man is ignorance about the way to eternal life. Eternal life cannot be earned or gained by our effort, ability, or goodness. Eternal life is given to us as a gift by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ. This young achieved wealth, fame, power by his own effort, ability, and goodness.  But he cannot achieve eternal life by all these. Eternal life is given by God, not earned by men.

  Jesus explains him why eternal life is given by God’s grace. Look at verse 17. “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”  In his answer Jesus taught him that God is the only one who is good. Psalm 100:5 says, “For the Lord is good and his love endures forever…” (Ps 118:1, 136:1, 1 Chr 16:34) What did God say after he created all creatures each day? God saw that it was good.  (Ge 1:9,12,18,21,25) After he created a man, God said, “It was very good!” (Ge 1:31) But, after Adam’s Fall, the man was not good anymore. The Bible says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Ro 3:23)  Paul said, “There is no one who does good, not even one. (Ro 3:12)  This man asked to Jesus, “What good thing must I do to get eternal life?” He thought that he was a good man, a man of honor, a man of morality, and a man of standing. But he did not know that there is no good man in this world and no one can get eternal life by doing what is good.

  Jesus said, “If you want to enter life, keep the commandments” Jesus taught him  that he could enter life by keeping God’s commandments. Leviticus 18:5 says, “Keep my decrees and laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them. I am the Lord.” But, the problem is that there is no one on this earth who keeps God’s commandments perfectly and enters life. What was the young man’s response? Look at verses 18,19. “Which ones?” he inquired. Jesus replied, “You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother, and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus listed the sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and fifth commandments of Exodus 20 in this order. He also added a command from Leviticus 19:18, which says, “Love your neighbor as yourself.

  What was the young man’s answer? He said in verse 20. “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” What an amazing answer! Who dares to say that he has kept all these commands? According to Mark’s gospel Jesus looked at him and loved him. (Mk 10:21) Jesus loved him because he said that he had kept all these commandments since he was a boy. Was it true that he had kept all these commandments? Do you believe in his word? Did he really love his neighbor as himself? Let’s see if his word was true or not. Jesus taught him how to get eternal life.

Second, go sell your possessions. Then come, follow me (21)  The rich young man asked, “What do I still lack?” Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (21) Why did Jesus ask him to sell his possession and give to the poor in order to become perfect? Here the word ‘perfect’ means ‘undivided loyalty and full-hearted obedience.’ This man did not reach to the standard of being perfect because his heart was divided because of his wealth. Wealth itself is not evil. It is one of God’s blessings. (Ge 13:2, 26:12, Pr 3:16,10:22) Having wealth is not bad, but loving wealth causes trouble. The Bible says, “Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (1 Tim 6:9,10)  Jesus also said in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” This young man said that he kept all God’s commandments. He thought that he loved his neighbor as himself. He loved money. His love of money divided his heart not to love God. He couldn’t serve both God and money.

Jesus said to him, ‘go, sell your possessions and give to the poor.’ In order to become perfect, in order to serve the Lord God whole-heartedly, and in order to get eternal life, he must sell his wealth and give to the poor. This is a win-win program for this young man. He could devote to the Lord with undivided loyalty, and he could obey God’s command, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’ with whole-hearted obedience. He could empty himself in order to possess treasure in heaven. Jesus said, “…and you will have treasure in heaven.” Our heart is like an empty cup. We cannot hold heavenly treasure in the cup which is filled with earthly things. We must empty the cup in order to fill it with heavenly treasure. We have to choose one between earthly wealth and heavenly treasure. We cannot possess both and mix them, either.

St. Francis of Assisi was a son of a rich man. After hearing this message, he sold everything he had and gave them to the poor and lived as a man of no possession. He denied inheritance of his father’s wealth because he was looking for treasure in heaven. What is treasure in heaven? It is eternal life in the kingdom of heaven. In the parable of the hidden treasure when a man found the treasure, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. (Mt 13:44)  Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Mt 6:19,20)

  Treasure in heaven is not only eternal life in the kingdom of heaven but also becoming Jesus’ disciple. Jesus invited him “Then come, follow me.” Jesus was selective in calling his disciples. Jesus loved this young man and wanted to give him eternal life as well as make him a great Apostle of Christ. This was once in a life time opportunity.  How did this rich young man respond to Jesus’ teaching and invitation?

Third, with man this is impossible,  but with God all things are possible (22-30)   Look at verse 22. “When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.”  This is one of the most sad and disappointing stories in the whole Bible. Some Bible scholars call this ‘the Great Refusal.’ By refusing Jesus’ invitation this young man lost the most important and valuable which was given as once lifetime opportunity.  This happened because he had great wealth. He loved money more than God.  He loved earthly wealth more than the heavenly treasure. He chose the perishable and temporary pleasures rather than the imperishable and eternal life in the kingdom of heaven.  Someone said that this young man repented and came back to Jesus and that it was John Mark. But this is not reliable source. If not, this young man must have gone into the eternal hell without taking even one penny from his bank account. When a man dies, he or she cannot take anything from this world, even his or her own body. We leave everything on this earth, and only our souls go up or down in order to stand before the judgment seat of God. The Bible says that God will judge each person according to what he or she has done on this earth. (Ro 2:6) To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. (Ro 2:7,8)

  Many people in this country follow money-oriented and pleasure-seeking life.  They love money more than God. They spend lots of money for themselves, but not for God. They are generous for themselves, but stingy to God and to others. They choose temporary physical pleasure rather than eternal holiness of God. They refuse to choose God and follow their sinful desire. The Bible says that they are corrupt and that they store up the wrath of God over their lives. (Ro 1:18, 2:5)

  What did Jesus say to his disciples after this young man had left? Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you , it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” (23-24) Jesus meant that it is hard for rich men to enter the kingdom of heaven because rich men love their money more than God as the young man did. To them Money is their God. They trust and reply on money more than God. Money is their idol. So, Jesus said that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than rich men to enter the kingdom of heaven. Camel is one of largest animals in that area. The eye of a needle is the smallest opening in men’s life. 

  What was the response of his disciples to Jesus’ teaching? Look at verse 25. “When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” The disciples thought that no one could be saved on earth, and no one could enter the kingdom of heaven if it is difficult for rich men to enter the kingdom of heaven. Everybody wants to be rich, not to mention his disciples. Some of them followed Jesus in order to fulfill their earthly messianic dreams with honor and wealth. Jesus’ teaching challenged their earthly dream. Their view of salvation was very negative and pessimistic that it is impossible for them to be saved.

  How did Jesus answer them? Let’s read verse 26. “Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  In this verse Jesus said that salvation belongs to God. No one can be saved by his or her own ability, effort, goodness, and wealth. Salvation comes from the Lord. It is a gift from God. Our God is Almighty God who created heavens and earth. If he wanted, he could make a camel go through the eye of a needle. If he wanted, he can save anyone, any time, in any situation with his mighty power and love. There have been many rich men who were saved and enter the kingdom of heaven. They used their wealth for the service of the Lord and for people. They obeyed Proverbs 3:9, which says “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops.”

  Peter answered Jesus, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”  (27) Peter meant, “We are better than this rich man. We left everything to follow you. Are we qualified for treasure in heaven? Aren’t we great, are we?” What was Jesus’ answer? Let us read verses 28-30. “Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.” Jesus promised not only eternal life but also the heavenly reward to those who left everything for his sake and followed him. When Jesus comes again, this world will be renewed. New order will be set up. Those who follow Jesus will rule the world. Those who sacrifice his close family tie and possessions for the sake of Jesus and the gospel will be rewarded a hundred times as well as inherit eternal life. Some may interpret these words literally. Others may do allegorically. The important thing is that when we love Jesus more than our family and put our first priority on Jesus, God will surely bless us more than a hundred times.

  In today’s passage Jesus taught us how to get eternal life. Are you ready to sell everything which you love for the sake of Jesus? Are you willing to give up all things you hold for the sake of treasure in heaven? Let us not to become this sad rich young man, but the disciples of Jesus Christ who conquer the world and inherit the kingdom of heaven. Amen.


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