“Go.”  Jesus said.

The young man turned and went, lost in grief.

And the world has judged him ever since that moment, drawing conclusions, condemning his heart.  We proclaim him to be selfish… materialistic… damned.  “Don’t be like him.”  we preach with passion.

He is known to us as the rich young ruler.

And we may have it all wrong.

What do we know about this man?  We know that he was probably not older than his mid-thirties; that he was a man of great wealth, and that he had some level of authority.  It appears that he was Jewish, or at minimum, the son of devout Jewish proselytes.  He was probably the oldest son in his family, and had inherited his wealth upon the death of his father. 

 We don’t know how long he has been observing Jesus.  Matthew, Mark and Luke all place this encounter immediately after Jesus welcomes and blesses the children.  Perhaps this man of great wealth, the one to whom people generally gave preference, stood by and waited while Jesus played with children.  Then Jesus dismissed the children, and prepared to leave, paying no attention to this young man.  It could have been interpreted as an insult.  It would not have been the first time that Jesus said or did things that could have been perceived as highly offensive.  How he responds to Jesus in this moment is the first indication of his character.

As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 

It is not likely that he was travelling alone.  A person of great wealth would generally be accompanied by at least a servant or bodyguard.   Surely, he was aware that Jesus was not accepted by the influential people of the day, and that many of Jesus’ followers were counted among the worst of sinners.  His reputation had nothing to gain by showing any measure of respect to this “blasphemer” who “broke the law of Moses”.   He casts appearance aside as he runs to Jesus and falls on his knees before him.

Some question his motivations, suggesting that the moment was staged, pointing to Jesus’ response as evidence to support this conclusion:

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.”

“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”

However, when Jesus asks a question of an individual, it is usually for that person’s benefit, to lead to self-examination and insight.

“Why do you call me good?”

This question is not significantly different than Jesus asking his disciples “Who do you say that I am?”  It is the starting point for any follower of Jesus.

Jesus does not give the man a chance to respond at this moment, but answers the man’s question with the expected response; in summary, “Obey the commandments”.

The man who has everything, who has lived according to the law, and who can point to his prosperity as evidence of his righteousness, still feels that something is lacking.  He has doubts that his obedience to the law can guaranty him eternal life; and he is drawn to Jesus in an attempt to fill this emptiness and uncertainty.  There seems to be a desperation in his question, as if he is tormented by his doubts, and seeking peace of mind. 

Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. 

Jesus looks at him, not at the rich powerful young man, but at a lost sheep caught in the briars.  He needs a shepherd to set him free, even if that sheep has become comfortable in his present circumstances; even if extracting him from the briars is an excruciating process – for both sheep and shepherd.  It is necessary.

The man who has based his life on obedience to the law still needs to be circumcised.  The trappings of the flesh still need to be cut away.  It will be painful.  It doesn’t necessarily make sense – this “becoming  less”.  Why?”  The answer lies in the previous question:

“Why do you call me good?”

Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem – to die.  He was fully aware that his days on earth were short.  Yet he looks on this man who has much; this one on his knees before him, this one he for whom he feels great love, and he gives instructions that seem almost cruel:

“Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

This would not be something that could be done overnight, it would take a period of time.  By the time it was accomplished, Jesus’ earthly mission would be over.  There would be no following him, at least not it the way he would have understood Jesus to intend.

At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

Jesus told him to go, and he went.  But “his face fell” and “he went away sad”.  What does that mean?  Why was he sad?  Was it because he rejected Jesus and his instructions?  Or was it because he was already grieving the loss that he was facing.  The Greek word translated “sad” means “deep, intense grief”, and is even used for the pain of childbirth.  It is used by Matthew to describe the agony of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane.  It does not seem likely that dismissing Jesus and his instructions would have caused that level of grief.  It is not likely that a staged moment would have caused that level of grief.  This is deep personal loss and trepidation.  Circumcision and childbirth.  His old life needed to be cut away so that he could be born into a new life.  Whatever Jesus saw in his future, required him to be free.

At that time, this young man was lord over his own little kingdom on earth.  It was a fragile little kingdom with an expiration date.  If he rejected Jesus, and went on to live a normal life, he might have had forty years of prosperity, only to have it all crumble when Rome conquered Jerusalem.  If he held onto this earthly kingdom, he would enter into eternity completely impoverished.  If he released the earthly kingdom in favor of “treasure in heaven” he would find true riches as an heir of the eternal Father.

“Why do you call me good?”  Answer the question, and act on your answer. 

Without final words, the rich young ruler walks off the stage of history.  As he walks away, Jesus remarks on the encounter:

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”

The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 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.”

The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

Perhaps Jesus had a message in his final words on the subject – “All things are possible with God.” 

Was it a hint to his disciples that they would see this man again, free from his bondage and ready to follow?  If so, he would be a testimony to them of the grace and saving power of their God.

This young man was perhaps the first person called to follow a risen Jesus, and there is a good possibility that he did just that.  The Rich Young Ruler may have walked off the stage at this point, only to appear as another character a short time later.  Theories abound! God chose mystery!

All things are possible with God!